Homefront

by Scott James Magner

  ~Katra, what’s your position?~

  ~One hundred ninety-five meters from you. That’s your range, yes? The humans are thirty meters from here.~

  ~Copy that. Head back over there, we’ll be up with you in a minute.~

  Jantine started to move down the passage, but Mira reached up and grabbed one of her arms. She held her still until Katra was back out of range. Jantine sent her caution and surprise, but she stopped anyway.

  ~They can wait a minute. What did you do? Did Mordecai say anything else?~

  ~I told him about Janbi. About who he was, both to me and the Colony. Can you see it in my mind? I don’t want to get the words wrong.~

  ~I’ll try. I’ve only ever done it with the Builders, so if it hurts you have to let me know.~

  When Jantine signaled she was ready, Mira opened her mind, and pulled Jantine with her onto the white plain. They appeared standing at the edge of Mira’s mind castle, bare feet resting on green grass. Mira was surprised to see a second towering structure nearby, and also when Jantine’s hand reached out to touch her face.

  There was a look of wonder on the Beta’s face that never seemed to reach her real one. Her hand was cold, like glass, but it warmed instantly when it moved across her skin.

  "I like your new face better. But this one is all right, I guess."

  Mira smiled, and Jantine did the same. She looked younger in the dreamscape, as if the cares of the real world never touched her here. Unlike Mira’s castle, Jantine’s tower was built to keep things in, and there were no doors.

  "Who you are here is who you are inside. It’s the universe Mordecai was talking about, created by your thoughts and desires. Just think about him, and we should—"

  An image of Mordecai Harrison appeared beside them, mouth open as if frozen mid-sentence. Jantine raised her hand to touch his face, and the old man’s mouth pulled back into a smile.

  "Good. It’s not right to be alone. My wife and I were together for almost eighty years. In all that time, I never felt good enough for her, and when she died I was lost for a while."

  Mordecai’s voice was warm and soft, and it seemed to fill all the space around them. His right hand gestured to his eye patch, and then down to his leg. Jantine mirrored the gesture, and her lips were moving when he spoke again.

  "We caught the men who killed her, who did this to me. They were separatists. Young fools who didn’t want old men like me telling them what to do with their lives. They killed my wife and burned my body, and instead of doing the same to them we locked them away and put happy thoughts back into their heads.

  "But no matter how long they live, no matter what kind of productive lives they might someday lead, Almira will still be dead, and I had to let her go before I ended up the same way.

  "My universe is full of possibilities, and if you want to be more than whatever thoughts were stuffed in this fragile thing . . ." Both Mordecai and Jantine reached up and poked the other in the forehead, ". . . you have to forgive yourself for being alive. It’s not your fault. You didn’t choose to live, you just did. And if you’re anything like your young man over there, your universe is going to be a very, very interesting place."

  Mordecai smiled, and his face faded away into whiteness. Jantine rose off the ground, arms stretched wide, and she flew around Mira in ever tightening circles before touching down in front of her.

  "I’ve always wanted to do that. Your hardsuits, they can fly, yes? Once you learn how, that is."

  Mira laughed, remembering her very similar urge the first time she went out on the Valiant’s hull. She and her team were there to check on power conduits, but every one of her people was watching to see what she’d do. Instead of giving them a show, she’d given them orders, saving her zero-g acrobatics for the Fleet Games.

  "Oh, yes. And so much more. So what are you going to do?"

  "Janbi wants to live on Earth. He wants us to be old, and tell people what to do. But I want this, all of this . . ." Jantine gestured, and the mindscape became the blackness of space, with stars and galaxies blazing in all their glory.

  "And Janbi. He was right about that, too, when he offered to let me go. But I want him, so I’ll kill more people and fight as hard as I can until I can be with him again. I believe in me, in him, and us. And you as well, so you’d better be right about who we can trust."

  Mira returned the mindscape to white, and then dissolved the link and returned them back to the Moon. According to her visor, only a few seconds had passed, which boded well for Katra’s mood. Mira released Jantine’s arm and carefully stood up.

  ~Well, let’s go see about that.~

  Jantine

  JANTINE SETTLED IN NEXT TO KATRA’S SLIM FORM, wishing she’d thought to shed her Earther armor as well. With full respect for Mira, it was awkward and bulky, though there were a few features she wished to try out someday. The maneuvering jets for one, but once interfaced with her handheld, its sensor suite was truly impressive.

  As she shifted to get a better look at the rendered scene on Katra’s handheld, a spike of pain from her ruined left ear made her wince, and an accompanying wave of vertigo caused her to lean into the Gamma. Luckily, the humans below them were too busy arguing with one another to hear the two mods tumble into the side of the passage, but it was definitely more noise than she’d intended to make while observing them.

  ~Jantine, are you all right?~

  Through the three-way link, she saw Mira’s view of the pressure door leading into the compartment, and could also feel Katra’s concern and fierce devotion to her. The Gamma set her handheld down and helped return Jantine to a crouching position. After a moment, the dizziness and pain subsided, and she returned her attention to the surveillance.

  ~I’m fine. Another of them is gesturing at the door now, but the civvies are still in restraints. I don’t think the female officer is with them, given her posture.~

  In truth, it was hard to tell anything from an image rendered from ultrasonic sensor data, but Jantine had made do with less information in the past. The armored humans were definitely arguing, and the others were either tied to chairs or refusing to leave them.

  ~I’m definitely picking up mixed emotions, but it’s hard to distinguish who’s who from this side of the door. I’m going to have to get line of sight for an accurate read. Are you two ready?~

  Katra nodded, powering down the handheld and stowing it in a thigh sheath. She checked her pulse rifle’s charge one last time before turning on her active camouflage, and faded from sight.

  True infiltrators like Katra didn’t simply blend in, they became the space they inhabited. Jantine had never been this close to an active system before, at least not one she was aware of in advance. The urge to poke Katra to see if she was still real was strong, but their mission had to take precedence.

  And since I’m the distraction of the hour, I need to focus on the fact that while there are only a couple of drawn weapons in there, all of the enemy are probably as heavily armed as I am.

  The natural passage the two mods were in was separated from the mechanical crawlspace above the control room by one of the omnipresent magnetic grates the Earthers used to build this base instead of proper grav plating. It was easily removed, allowing Jantine to slip into the crawlspace and move forward to retrieve the sensor Katra had placed earlier.

  It was impossible to tell exactly where Mira’s thoughts were coming from, but the Earther’s eyes told her she was about a meter away from the pressure door leading from the main corridor to the control room.

  It was Mira’s eyes she needed now, or more accurately, her experience.

  ~I’m in position.~

  Jantine was lying prone next to a gently humming machine, and she imagined the air it was circulating running over the skin of her suit. While she had no direct information on where the people in the room were, all of them had to breathe something, and once she installed the gas canister, the humans in suits would either have to come up here through the mainten
ance hatch into Katra’s line of fire, or open the hatch and step into Mira’s.

  ~Okay. Jantine, press the red switch on top of the unit, and then pull the handle on the side toward you. The control center’s systems are independent from the main base recyclers, and with that many people moving around down there, the CO2 alarms will go off almost immediately. They’ll revive as soon as they’re exposed to fresh air, so we’ll have to move fast.~

  ~It’s cycling now. And Mira?~

  ~Yes?~

  ~Thank you for letting me fly.~

  Mira’s answer was the memory of a smile. Jantine edged forward on her elbows until she was at the edge of the maintenance hatch, and then she drew her induction pistol from the chest plate before lying flat again.

  ~Something’s definitely happening in there. Tempers are flaring, and . . . the hatch is opening! Get ready to go in.~

  Katra appeared at the hatch with her rifle in one hand and the release handle in the other.

  ~Go, Go, Go!~

  At Mira’s signal, Katra twisted the handle and threw the hatch open, and Jantine slithered down into the room. One of the armored humans pointed a weapon straight at her but was shocked enough by her appearance that she was able to easily knock it out of his hands and force him to the floor.

  The suited human at the door took a step forward then fell flat on the floor, and Jantine felt Mira’s satisfaction through the link. Another was turning to see what happened when Mira’s external speakers sent her voice booming into the room.

  "This is Lieutenant Commander Mira Harlan, ordering you to stand down. I know some of you don’t agree with Captain Kołodziejski’s methods, and you probably already know that there is a fleet in orbit prepared to utterly destroy this base unless you comply. Put down your weapons and deactivate your hardsuits, and you will not be harmed."

  ~Mira, which ones can I shoot?~

  ~None of them, it seems. Jantine dealt with the leader, and the three still active don’t want to be here any more than we do.~

  Jantine smiled at Katra’s flash of disappointment. The Gamma dropped to the floor, and a moment later the humans followed Mira’s order. Jantine removed her helmet, relishing the feel of cold air on her face.

  "Identify yourselves for the record."

  The three standing troopers kept their attention on Mira as she came into the room, following her weapon with their eyes as she waved them toward the wall. Once they were up against it, she aimed the pistol at the chest of the man on the far left. He swallowed noisily before answering.

  "Sergeant James Hardesty," he said.

  The other two quickly followed suit.

  "Corporal Nils Mikkelson."

  "Corporal Janice Walters."

  Katra moved to the black-clad human woman sitting at the control console and shoved her roughly to the floor. She came to rest awkwardly on pieces of the troopers’ discarded armor, but she made no move to adjust to a more comfortable position. Jantine shot Katra a questioning glance.

  "She was about to activate a control," Katra said. "Now she cannot."

  Jantine shrugged, then collected weapons from the floor and tossed them out into the corridor. When she reached the other side of the room, she turned and looked at the humans who were still seated. As they’d suspected, all six were secured to their chairs with their hands behind them. Some sort of clear material held their mouths shut.

  ~Mira, what about these civvies?~

  ~Two of them are, or rather, were Kolodziejski’s spies. The woman on the floor had a spike of fear when she heard my name, I think she’s the control officer I was talking to before. She wants to tell me something, but she is terrified of Katra.~

  While she couldn’t sense Katra’s underlying emotions like Mira did, the Gamma’s response gave Jantine a fairly good idea of what she was feeling.

  ~Good. Shall I shoot the spies?~

  Jantine was only mildly surprised by Katra’s bloodlust, but it had been a trying day for everyone, and the Gamma’s opportunities for physical release had been few.

  ~Not just yet. We want them to confess first. Jantine, there’s a belt control shaped like a . . . I forget sometimes. It looks like this.~

  Mira sent an image of a pair of slightly raised concentric circles, and of her hand turning it two rotations to the left. When Jantine turned the first of her downed opponents over to reach it, the man’s face was slack and lifeless. Assuming he was somehow incapacitated by Mira’s abilities, she activated the control as she’d been shown, and the man’s suit went completely rigid. She picked him up and moved him away from the uniformed woman on the floor.

  Once he was safely out of reach, she removed the helmet from the second, revealing a bald, dark-skinned woman. Jantine repeated the process, then stood where she could see both the corridor and the humans standing against the wall.

  "So, who wants to tell me their story? My friends and I have come a long way to hear it, and we appreciate your cooperation.

  ~Jantine, Carlton is sending Artemus and three Gammas to our position. He also wants to know how you’re feeling.~

  ~I am fine. You will tell me about how you know this when we are finished, yes?~

  ~Of course. We’re still trying to figure it out ourselves, but I don’t think it’s something you need to worry about. It may be . . . no, I don’t want to speculate.~

  Jantine sent Mira her confidence and looked down the corridor for the other mods. But an unfamiliar voice behind her brought her attention back to the uniformed woman on the floor.

  "Your fleet? It’s gone. We recorded a massive explosion a few minutes ago, about the time we lost contact with the Indomitable. But we had nothing to do with that, I swear. And the whole time I was talking to you before, that pig Washburn"—the uniformed woman said, gesturing to the trooper Jantine had disabled—"had his pistol jammed into my ear. When I couldn’t raise Captain Kołodziejski, he went crazy, and sealed us all in here."

  Mira didn’t directly acknowledge what the woman was saying, but Jantine had a sense of great sadness from her friend that could have meant several things. She hoped that whatever it was that was bothering Mira was something she’d share before too much time passed.

  Katra moved forward and nudged the woman toward the other humans, and she crawled over without further complaint. As she moved, Jantine noted an angry bruise on the side of her face, far too developed to have been Katra’s doing.

  ~Jantine, the Lieutenant on the left wants to say something. Take the tape off his mouth.~

  Jantine stepped past Katra to the bound SDF officer and tore the transparent covering away.

  "It’s true, ma’am. When Captain Kołodziejski arrived a few days ago, he evacuated pretty much everyone to Tycho City. And when your voice came over the comm from the shuttle, he kind of lost it. This base has been staffed primarily with officers from Indomitable since we arrived, and they all cleared out when the ship lifted. We’re alone down here, and it seems we’re . . . what the hell is that!"

  Artemus wedged himself through the portal, and once inside, he had to duck his head slightly to avoid scraping it on the ceiling. Mira slid to the side as he approached, and all three prisoners tried to press themselves into, and through, the wall. Jantine saw Marius and Yesha take up station outside.

  "I am Defense Guardian Artemus, and you humans are now subject to the Interstellar Compact." When he spoke, he spread his arms wide, making sure the humans could see the weapons in all four hands.

  "If you attempt to escape, you will be punished. If you attempt rebellion against my authority, you will be punished. If you take any action against my comrades in arms, you will be punished, and most likely killed. Do you understand these conditions of parole?"

  The captured troopers nodded, but Jantine added her own warning to that of the Delta.

  "He needs to hear you say it. Otherwise, you are still enemy combatants, and he’s a very good shot."

  Artemus turned his both his lower arms and one of the uppers until each of
the weapons was pointed directly at a prisoner’s head. All three were quick to respond with "yes" and "yes, sir", but Artemus wasn’t done having fun just yet.

  "I am Defense Guardian Artemus! There is no sir to yes at! Will you comply or not!"

  "Yes, Defense Guardian Artemus!"

  Artemus gave one of his rare smiles, showing his massive white teeth. "Good. Scout Marius, secure these prisoners, and those two on the floor as well. I will follow directly. Scout Yesha, up."

  The slim female Gamma tossed one of the captured induction pistols up through the maintenance hatch, then followed it herself a moment later. Jantine heard her settle in next to the circulating machine, and several seconds later, she felt fresh air blowing on her face. Marius led the prisoners out into the hallway. Why Artemus, you have a positive gift for command. We will need to work on this, but I see new opportunities ahead for you.

  "Commander. Lieutenant Commander. Will there be anything else?"

  Jantine shook her head.

  "You have performed admirably, Defense Guardian Artemus. Please see to our guests, and we’ll talk soon."

  The Delta nodded, and reversed his complicated entrance.

  Mira waved Jantine to the command console and began activating controls. By the time Jantine sat, several holo displays were active, one of which showed the repeating signal they’d agreed upon with Commodore Maranova before launch.

  Mira rested a gauntleted hand on Jantine’s shoulder.

  "If they’re out there, any of them, this should do the trick. All we can do now is wait. Carlton says we’ll need to get you down to Earth as soon as possible to deal with your ear, but he thinks the damage isn’t irreversible."

  Jantine thought about what Mira was saying, her eyes on the slowly bouncing signal announcing their presence to their allies. She didn’t doubt that her friend was in contact with Carlton, but Mira hadn’t indicated that the prisoner was lying earlier either. If Commodore Maranova’s strike force really had been destroyed, the only vessel they had access to was the shuttle they came in on, and it was far too small to accommodate the sleepers.