Homefront

by Scott James Magner

  "Lay it on me, Harlan. I’ve wasted enough time on this already, I might as well hear it all."

  Mira Harlan wasn’t a scared teenager anymore, nor was she a confident young woman reaching for the stars. Something had happened to her, recently by the feel of it, and Maranova didn’t think it was just her transformation into a gennie.

  You’re half the woman you should be. You’re definitely not the officer who’s been trouncing my crew chiefs in fleet competency exercises over the last few years, so there must be something else about your transformation that you’re not telling me.

  Harlan’s face had some eerie similarities to the little girl’s, enough that Maranova almost believed the parts of her story she’d left out of the larger briefing. She hadn’t believed Aloysius Martin at first either, until she’d seen the Alpha girl in suspended animation.

  But hearing how Serene’s face had been changing since emerging from the sleeper unit was almost as terrifying as the thought that the T-virus inside the child could transform Maranova into something else at any time.

  "Ma’am, that’s not the way they think. Jantine knows she has to get a ship, and some way to find Chimera. But she can’t do either of those things right now, so she’s not going to waste time making plans until she knows what resources she has to work with."

  Maranova wasn’t ready to let Harlan off the hook just yet. There was too much at stake just to give away all her cards, and it was clear she wasn’t going to get any help from "Councilor" Harrison.

  Mordecai was having too much fun a just being in the room with his thesis subjects, drinking in every minute and preparing his next paper for publication. But the thoughtful looks he was giving the little girl when he thought no one could see told Maranova that the doctor shared at least some of her fears, and probably had a few of his own.

  "More bullshit, this time with a whiff of horse thrown in. You want a ship, girl, you ask for it. You want resources and information, you ask for them. That’s how this works. Or have you forgotten who I am, and what my rank actually means?"

  Maranova wasn’t sure if she was talking to Harlan, Jantine, or Serene, but all three of them stiffened.

  Serene’s look of concentration reminded her so much of Cadet Harlan that, for a second, Maranova thought she was looking back through time. It was something she’d worked for years to train out of the girl before shipping her off to Aloysius Martin.

  Then the Alpha’s too-large eyes narrowed, and the orange giant she wasn’t sitting on straightened up.

  Jantine’s nostrils flared, and it looked like she was about to say something Maranova probably wouldn’t like until her boyfriend put his hand on her shoulder. She bit back whatever it was with an expression of distaste, and then let it go when the big orange one with the red-striped head lumbered over.

  "No, Jason," Harlan said. "I don’t think that’s a good idea."

  Maranova wasn’t sure what was more unnerving. Harlan’s half of the conversation, or the big gennie reaching out a hand toward her head. That the brute was more than two meters taller than she was the deciding factor, and she took a step back.

  "Harlan, start talking before I have to shoot . . . hell, someone already tried that, didn’t they?"

  Close-up, Maranova saw that what she had taken for tears in his clothing were actually hundreds of microslug punctures, but the orange skin underneath was unmarked. Somehow, the thought of a telepathic, four-eyed space monster being immune to the only weapon she had didn’t make her feel any better.

  "It’s . . . it’s hard to explain, Ma’am."

  "Simplify it. That’s an order, Harlan."

  Even though "Jason" had stopped advancing, Maranova took another step back. Not only did it put her out of his immediate reach, but now he wasn’t blocking her view of the other gennies. The second Omega was standing up now, too, with Serene cradled in one of his huge arms like a toy. The girl still had one of Mira Harlan’s expressions on her face, but Maranova no longer found it nostalgic or amusing.

  "This isn’t going to work, Serene. Think about what happened the last time you tried it. The commodore’s a lot older than I am, and she doesn’t have an active expression. This is a very, very bad idea."

  "Harlan . . ."

  Maranova drew the name out. She did not like the direction in which things were heading. Harlan was standing in front of her now, arms held up as if to fend off the advancing monsters. Then the sharp-featured gennie who’d been in the biobed earlier appeared beside her out of nowhere, with a long, jagged fragment of ceroplastic in her hand.

  Katra, that’s her name. She’s a Gamma, one of their soldiers.

  "Do not make me kill you, Jason. I will not let Mira be hurt again."

  When the girl spoke, Maranova felt very old indeed. Although the gennie’s voice was soft, when she spoke it was with the tones of a seasoned veteran.

  The rest of the gennies weren’t any more inclined to challenge her. Instead, they stood at the edges of a ragged circle and tried very hard not to look at the troopers pouring into the room with their weapons drawn.

  Harlan spread her arms in an attempt to capture every eye in the room. Maranova felt sunshine on her face, and swore she could taste the most delicious chocolate cake in the universe.

  What the fuck just happened?

  Maranova wasn’t alone in her surprise; half the troopers were lowering their weapons, while the others switched their aim to Harlan. Mira’s next words were right out of the Aloysius Martin playbook, and Ykaterina couldn’t help but smile.

  "Now just hold on, everybody. Let’s not do anything we’re going to regret later."

  Mira

  OH, GREAT. TWENTY MORE BRAINS TO DEAL WITH, AS IF my head didn’t hurt enough already.

  Mira wanted to grab her slugthrower off her chest, but the borrowed clothes she was wearing were remarkably short on weaponry. Things were going straight to hell, again, and this time she couldn’t even shoot back.

  Mira kept transmitting her happy memories, wincing at the pain of influencing so many people at once while at the same time forming it into thick blocks for her wall.

  ~I could use a little help here, fellas.~

  She could tell Jason was willing, but he and O-6913 were both firmly in Serene’s grasp and ready to go digging in Commodore Maranova’s brain for the location of Chimera. Part of her wanted to let them try, just to see if the old lady could shrug off their attempts and give them a mental kick in the ass. But the memory of how helpless she’d been to resist Serene’s assault, even with the Gamma memories to assist, told her otherwise. Her next words had to be the right ones, and there wasn’t a lot of time to figure them out.

  "Seriously, no one’s going to do anything but Calm. The Heck. Down. This is just a misunderstanding, isn’t it Serene?"

  The Alpha’s face was a stone mask, and the image of her standing on O-6913’s open palm with one hand on his shoulder was one Mira would never forget. Especially when Serene decided to ratchet up the tension in the room another notch. If the child was concerned by the troopers with guns, she gave no outward sign of it.

  "No, it’s not. The humans have stolen from us, and as Jantine says we must have our people back. You may think you’re still one of them, but you’re not. Don’t resist us, Mira. You won’t like what happens."

  Katra tightened her grip on her improvised weapon, and a few drops of blood seeped through her clenched fingers. Mira didn’t think the splintered piece of Mordecai’s cane would puncture Jason’s chest, but there was no doubt in Katra’s mind as to the outcome of the encounter.

  She’s already planning her second attack, and wondering if she can get to Serene in time before Jantine shoots her.

  Mira hadn’t seen the Beta draw her weapon, and she had even less idea where she’d been hiding it. The Institute clothing was pocketless, and even Janbi was surprised at the sudden appearance of a pulser in her hand.

  ~Serene, don’t do this. Let me talk to them.~

  ~No. B
etter that we die here than do nothing while the sleepers suffer. She knows where they are, or at least how to find out.~

  "I can’t say I think much of your new friends, Harlan. Although your girl Katra is growing on me. What are you going to do missy? Stab him in the eye?"

  Jason’s face was neutral, but he felt genuine surprise at the thought that Katra might actually hurt him. The commodore’s voice was equal parts laughter and approbation.

  "No, too much bone behind an eye," Katra said. "One of the ears is better—easier path to the brainstem. Plus, he’ll stay in place as a shield while I take your gun."

  Jason’s tiny mouth fell open in shocked realization of her true intentions. Mira’s headache doubled in strength as the Omega stopped his efforts to screen her in favor of defending himself against the Gamma’s imminent attack.

  "Katra, you’re not helping."

  "She asked nicely. Just trying to be polite."

  The thought of Katra developing a sense of humor was frightening, almost moreso than how efficiently she’d planned to murder Jason with a piece of Mordecai Harrison’s cane. The doctor was sitting on a cylindrical container, staring at the rest of his cane on the floor and wondering when she’d broken it.

  Mira needed to regain control of the situation, and fast. Unfortunately, her abilities were already pushed to the maximum; anything else she tried would mean even more pain, and the very real possibility that she might lose parts of herself forever.

  "Please, everyone, stand down. We don’t have time for these games. No one wants this to escalate, and there’s still a way for us to work together."

  She knew Artemus was moving by the way the troopers shifted their attentions. Despite his size, the Delta was very graceful, and he moved between Jason and O-6913 fast enough to catch even Jantine by surprise. At the end of his maneuver, the Beta’s pulser was planted squarely in the Delta’s back and all four of Artemus’s hands were empty and held up in surrender. Jantine snarled at him, but it was Janbi who ended up being the voice of reason.

  "You’re all fools. Blind, stupid fools, for convincing yourselves that your small piece of the truth is the right choice for everyone. Doctor Harrison only has one eye, and he sees more than any of you. And I’ve had just about enough of this nonsense."

  Mira’s eyes darted around the room, trying to gauge people’s reactions to his words. She couldn’t help but remember how close Captain Martin had come to talking down the troopers in the launch bay, and how quickly it had all gone to pieces when that pair of doomed techs decided to be heroes.

  Janbi was walking very slowly over to Commodore Maranova, with a pleasant expression on his face. Jantine was staring daggers at his back, and Mira wondered what this latest disagreement would do to their relationship.

  Now that they’re lovers in fact, she probably won’t shoot him. Probably. But I’ve seen a face like the one she’s wearing before, and I definitely don’t want to be within a kilometer of those two when they have this out later.

  Jantine lowered her pulser, crouching to place it at her feet. Even now, she was unwilling to let one of the advanced weapons out of her sight. Her emotions were locked behind her mental barriers, but she did smile as she stood back up. Artemus turned his head to look at her, stretching his lower left hand behind him to rest it on her shoulder. Jantine put her own left hand on top of it, and returned to watching Janbi walk.

  "Hello, Ykaterina. I’m Janbi. I’m the smart one around here."

  Maranova responded with a chortle.

  "Well, you’ve got a pair of balls on you, don’t you boy? Damned if you aren’t the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. If you were about ten years older, I expect Harlan here would snap you right up."

  Janbi’s face became thoughtful, and Mira voiced yet another refusal.

  "Please, ma’am, don’t encourage him. He’s bad enough as it is."

  "Actually, Jantine said she liked . . ."

  "JANBI!"

  Despite the guns, the threats voiced by Katra and Serene, and the larger questions about their shared future yet to be addressed, the sight of Jantine blushing was something Mira could never have predicted. But the Beta was definitely embarrassed, a more genuine emotion than Mira thought she was capable of expressing at a time like this, especially considering what happened between the two of them up on the surface.

  What is it about that boy that makes it so hard to stay mad at him?

  Janbi just shrugged.

  "The facts are plain enough," he said. "Captain Horace Kołodziejski has gained control of three hundred of our people and ordered them taken to someplace called Chimera. While we do not know exactly where this is, you might. Serene and the Omegas think we should scoop the information out of your brain, but given what happened the last time they tried something like this I don’t have much confidence in their plan."

  Mira felt Jason’s deep shame, and a lesser version of the same sentiment from O-6913. Serene was as guilt-free as ever, but Janbi’s reminder was enough to shake the Omegas free of her sway.

  At least for now. How does he always know the right thing to say?

  "I’m not sure I’m keeping up with what you’re saying, boy, but you’ve all got a lot to answer for."

  "Oh, yes, we certainly do. But Jantine is correct; if your officer harms even one of the sleepers, we will kill him. And if his support in your fleet goes beyond the ships I saw a few days ago, he will soon force a war with our Colonies and none of this will matter."

  Janbi’s message wasn’t lost on Maranova, and the commodore set her mouth in a frown. For the thousandth time since he flew off to protect her, Mira wished Captain Martin was still here to advise her. But their shared mentor was, and if anyone could avoid a war, it was her.

  "All right, then. Put your guns down, boys and girls. Janbi here’s about to tell us what happens next."

  Janbi either took Maranova’s mockery in stride or missed it entirely. His brain was working faster than Mira could keep up with, and she only caught small glimpses of his thoughts.

  They were enough.

  "Yes, I am," he said. "Commodore Maranova, I would like to request the use of your personal shuttle, several suits of that powered armor Mira likes to wear, some of your slug weapons, and a uniform that would fit Carlton. Nothing too flashy, just something he can wear without saluting everybody he meets. I’m assuming you still salute in your fleet; I never see Mira do it, but she hasn’t had many chances in the last few days."

  "Me? Why do I need a uniform?"

  Carlton’s confusion was echoed on Jantine’s and Katra’s faces. Serene was . . . pouting? Her expression indicated childish pique, and Mira wondered how many times she’d used it herself.

  "Because I can’t go to the Moon," Janbi said. "Doctor Harrison says my stump won’t heal properly in microgravity."

  Mira was glad to see that both the troopers and Katra were lowering their weapons. The difference between them was that even without her encounter suit, Katra could still kill half a dozen of them before they realized she was upon them.

  Even untrained, Commodore Maranova’s mental barriers were on par with Mordecai Harrison’s, possibly even with Jantine’s. But she had much less control over her face than either of the others, and when Janbi mentioned the Moon Mira know Maranova was holding something back.

  Jantine needed more though, and she stepped in front of Artemus to get a better look at Janbi when she spoke.

  "I thought you couldn’t pinpoint the source of the coded transmissions?"

  "I can’t. Not without a few more verified sources. But there are only a few locations from which Captain Martin could have flown his shuttle unaided, and his navigational data shows several journeys in near-Earth orbit. If it was a satellite facility, he wouldn’t have needed as many supplies as he had on board, so Chimera has to be on the Moon. However, I still need the exact location, which Commodore Maranova can supply."

  "Anyone ever tell you you’re an annoying little prick when you’re right?
" Maranova’s grumble wasn’t meant to carry, but she didn’t have much experience dealing with a Beta’s enhanced senses.

  "Not in so many words, but yes. All the time, actually. So, Commodore, what’s your play? Will you help us, or does everybody die badly?"

  The commodore turned to Mira, who didn’t need empathic senses to understand she wanted to know if Janbi could be trusted. It was a question she’d been asking herself ever since she’d first met the mods, and probably would for some time to come.

  Mira nodded, which was enough for the older officer. Maranova turned back to Janbi. The move spoke volumes about her political savvy, and Mira thought that with enough time someone like the commodore was the perfect person to teach Serene some much needed self-restraint.

  Assuming any of us are alive after today.

  "All right, boy, you win. If you have Aloysius Martin’s files, you’ll probably figure it out soon enough anyway. But you have to understand that I didn’t know about your missing people until just now. I definitely would have tried to stop Horace if I had."

  Janbi moved forward and took the cane fragment from Katra’s hand, ignoring the blood on her palm. Mira couldn’t see any cuts in her skin, so the Gamma’s incredible recuperative powers must have returned to full strength.

  Janbi extended the piece of cane to Maranova point first, but he didn’t let go when she grabbed the other end.

  "But you did know about L-A-197, didn’t you? Where was your contrition when your people were experimenting on Serene’s partner?"

  Janbi squeezed the same splintered section that had cut Katra’s palm, driving hard shards of ceroplastic into his skin. The pain was enough to overwhelm whatever medication he’d been taking, and Mira felt with him not just this new wound, but the constant ache of his stump. How he was able to keep it from showing on his face was a mystery, but Mira realized that he’d rather feel pain right now than act on his anger.

  Then she felt her own rage return, along with another stolen memory. She was finally angry at Serene and O-6913, but also at Trooper Jensen and Kołodziejski and Aloysius Martin for entangling her in this mess. She was angry at her father for taking his own life and leaving her to take care of her brothers by herself.