“Do you think that I want this?” the Secretary asked, her voice taking on a sincerity that the general had never heard before. “Gentlemen…” She removed her Lenses and rubbed her tired eyes. “As impressive as this all may seem, it’s still may not be enough. We’re months away from reaching our goals. And don’t feed me this crap about how you’re doing the best you can. Because I can assure you, if you think your job is hard, try running the country’s foreign affairs for a week. Daily protests. Food shortages. Unprecedented crime. Not to mention selling The Citizen’s Act to an American public who’s tired of losing their children to an un-winnable war. Imagine, having to tell a parent that their six-year-old is going to have to carry a rifle before recess.” She sighed. “But what other choice do we have? We are on the verge of extinction. So, we do what we must, at least…while we can.”
The decisiveness of her tone left Murdock feeling like a scolded child. He took a second before speaking again. “What of the alien? Have we ascertained any new information? Do we know when the Anunnaki are coming?”
The Secretary sighed as her gaze shifted to the opposite corner of the room. “As effective as Connor is in extracting information from humans, it appears that he’s finally met his match in this new species. Either it doesn’t know, or it doesn’t want to tell us.”
Murdock frowned. Without knowing when the enemy was coming, there was only so much they could do to prepare. Their only option was to work as fast as they could and hope it would be enough. “What about the Ephemerides?” he asked, turning to Vipus.
“Sadly, the version that the French government has given us has been damaged beyond repair. Without the complete mathematical schemes required to study the galaxy, it would be nearly impossible to speculate the planet’s return. Even with Morgana’s help.”
Murdock grunted softly. “Then, for lack of a better phrase, we’re screwed.”
Vipus scratched his head. “Maybe, but maybe not. Could Connor could step up his tactics?”
“Not likely,” Bell answered. “If he goes any further, he’ll kill the damn thing.” Her eyes grew distant. “If it wasn’t such a monster, I might actually feel pity for the damn thing.”
Silence quickly followed, and then the secretary spoke again. “What about the girl?”
Murdock straightened in his chair.
“What’s her status?”
“She’s already entered the program. And doing quite well from what I understand.”
“If you call disobeying orders and killing a fellow recruit progress,” Vipus pointed out in a deadpan voice.
Murdock looked at him. How did he know about that?
The Secretary took in the information with a pensive stare, her head tilting back as she turned to the General in judgment. “Is that true?”
“There were some complications with the initial drop,” the General conceded. “But after a thorough investigation, her involvement was found…inconclusive.”
“What of her refusal to use a gun?” Vipus interjected. “According to the video I saw of her in the armory, she appeared apprehensive when she was issued her rifle. Not to mention the fact that she never fired a single shot during her first battle.”
Murdock looked at him, startled by how much he knew. The first round of games had only ended a few hours ago. In fact, it had only been a matter of minutes since he himself had been debriefed. The fact that the doctor knew so much and so soon meant that he had ears on the base. But how?
“Is this true?” the secretary asked.
“She still suffers from her father’s death.”
“Hmm,” the secretary said. “I remember reading something about that.” She looked to Vipus. “Would something like this get in the way of the Mind Crown?”
The doctor cupped his chin in thought. “Perhaps. But we’re so far off from having a workable prototype, she may have time to break through it.”
“Let’s hope so. General?”
He nodded. “I’ll look in on her.”
“See that you do,” the secretary said. “We’re in the business of making leaders. If she doesn’t step up her game, she and her boyfriend can kiss their clemency goodbye.”
Vipus shifted in his seat, appearing worried by the statement. He’d gained just as much as Murdock had in the deal, perhaps even more. “Maybe I was a bit hasty in my criticism of the girl,” he offered.
“She’s doing her best,” Murdock said.
“She needs to do better,” Bell said. “Make sure that she does, or she’s gone.”
“But I promised her,” Murdock said.
The secretary scoffed. “I make promises every day, general. And I only keep the ones that I can. It’s called governing. Now, if there isn’t anything else.” The secretary rose from her seat. “I need to catch a 12:30 plane to Moscow. There are a few more details I need to review with their Minister of Defense.”
Murdock rose with the secretary, holding back his anger. She was still his superior, and he needed to show her the respect she deserved, even if he didn’t want to.
“Any words of advice?” the secretary asked.
“Sure,” he said. “Don’t trust them.”
The edge of her mouth curled in amusement. “Will do, general. And may God smile on all our endeavors.”
The general waited for both Bell and Vipus to leave the room before returning to his seat. Reaching for the crucifix in his pocket, he studied it once more, the surface of his thumb brushing softly against the thin wood.
“What are you doing?” said a young man’s voice.
Murdock glanced up over his shoulder and found his grandson, Private Jared Ramsay, staring down at him in confusion. Tall and thin, with a burning ambition to prove himself, he reminded the general of a younger version of himself. “Nothing,” Murdock said, shoving the crucifix back into his pocket and standing up. “Is the pilot ready?”
“Yes, sir,” his grandson answered. “He’s just waiting for your orders.”
“Good,” Murdock said, nodding. “Tell him that there’s been a change of plan.”
“Where are we going?”
“To the Nest.”
17
No
When Sibylla awoke, she found herself lying on a twin bed, surrounded by a team of machines beeping in constant rhythm. Her chest was covered under a cluster of sensors, and her arm had been pierced with a hypodermic needle that was connected to an I.V. hanging from a metal rack.
All around her, beds were filled with injured recruits, sectioned off by thin blue curtains. It was the infirmary, she realized with a rush of panic. How’d she get here? Who’d brought her? What was going on?
“Back from the dead, I see,” said a voice.
Sibylla looked up and saw a tall woman with short blond hair and blue eyes standing by her bed. Dressed in white scrubs, Sibylla decided she was a nurse.
“That’s good,” the woman continued. “For a second there, I thought we’d lost you.”
Sibylla sat up, struggling against the swirl of the room. Something had knocked her unconscious, leaving a thick gash on the back of her head. Reaching to touch it, Sibylla winced. “Ouch.”
“Leave it alone,” the nurse said. “It’s not completely healed yet.”
“Tell me about it. It feels like my entire skull is on fire. What do you think it means?”
“That you’re gonna die.”
Sibylla’s eyes widened, and she was hit with a rush of panic. “Seriously?”
The nurse smiled. “Don’t worry. I’d say you have at least a couple of more years left, if not more.”
Sibylla snorted. Now that her vision had cleared, she could see the woman better. She was beautiful. Not in the modern sense, but in a more classic old-time feel. With a thin nose, round face and high cheekbones, she reminded Sibylla of one of the actresses from the black and white movies Dillon had shown her on the Internet. “What’s your name?” Sibylla asked, searching for the I.D. on her chest.
“Just call m
e Nina,” the nurse replied. “I’ve never really gotten used to my last name.”
“Tell me about it,” Sibylla said. “Try being called, Sibylla.”
The nurse gave a soft laugh as she examined Sibylla’s dressing. “We need to change your bandages. They’re dirty.”
“It’s all yours,” Sibylla replied.
The nurse began to unwrap her dressing, and as she did, Sibylla took the moment to study her surroundings. She saw men and women convulsing in their beds, while doctors watched in concern, glancing between the results flashing on their data scrolls and that which streamed across the monitors hanging overhead.
Sibylla noticed one of the recruits, a young man with a mohawk. He was lying on his side, convulsing as his body was held hostage by a violent seizure. With rolled back eyes, his hands reached subconsciously for the neck of his gown, and he ripped it off in a fit, revealing a chest that was covered in puffy welts.
Sibylla cringed as she saw the reddened skin, frightened by how many there were. She counted six. Six hits. Six rounds of electrical charges that individually could cause a seizure. His nervous system must’ve been fried.
“Okay,” the nurse said, returning the gauze back to one of the metal dressers nearby. “That should do it. Now, I need to check up on some of my other patients. But I’ll be back soon, okay?”
“Sure,” Sibylla said. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” the nurse replied with a kind smile. She was barely opening the door to leave when she was nearly run over by a trio of recruits.
“There she is!” Yumiko announced as she stumbled into the room. Her nose had been encased in a protective metal slip, and her eyes were circled by dark bruises. She looked like a raccoon. Varya’s knee must’ve broken her nose.
Behind her, Anais and Tayshaun quickly followed, but they suddenly stopped as they approached the entrance, unsure as to who should go in first.
“Please,” Tayshaun said, waving out an arm in politeness.
Anais blushed at the gesture and a deep smile formed on her lips. “Thank you,” she said softly.
“What the hell are you guys doing here?” Sibylla asked, surprised.
“What?” Yumiko asked defensively. “You don’t want us here?”
“No, it’s not that,” Sibylla said. “It’s just…” She was at a loss. The last thing she’d expected was for a group of recruits, soldiers whom she’d barely known, to check in on her.
“Give her a break,” Anais said, slapping Yumiko across the arm. “She was just hit in the head for Heaven’s sake!”
“Pretty good, too, by the looks of it,” Tayshaun said, leaning over to get a better look at her bandage.
Sibylla recoiled from his examination.
“Well, anyways,” Yumiko said. “It’s good to see that you’re okay.”
“What happened out there?” Sibylla asked.
“We got our assess kicked, that’s what,” Yumiko answered with a laugh. “Don’t you remember?”
Sibylla pressed a hand to her head, shutting her eyes as she tried to remember the last thing she’d seen. “Varya…she was about to—”
“Kill you?” Tayshaun snatched a bread roll from one of the injured recruit’s plates and shoved it into his mouth.
Yumiko cringed as she watched him swallow it. “Yea. What he said. If it hadn’t been for Red over here, you would’ve been toast.”
Anais seemed surprised by the compliment. “Thanks,” she said carefully.
“Can’t land a drop pod for shit,” Yumiko quickly added, punching Tayshaun in the arm, “but she can fly a jet.”
Anais rolled her eyes at the jest, flipping Yumiko the bird.
“No, but seriously,” Yumiko said. “She saved your ass.”
“But I thought your jet went down,” Sibylla said, turning to Anais.
“No,” Anais said. “That was the other guy’s.”
“Carlos,” Tayshaun explained. “Varya’s adopted brother.”
Sibylla paused as she remembered the young man, picturing his dark green hair and scarred face.
“He’s a hell of a pilot,” Anais conceded. “But not as good as me. After his jet went down, I circled back. Varya was about to swing her sword when I fired off a round of charges at her. She darted off into the forest and hid.”
“So, who won?” Sibylla asked.
“They did,” Tayshaun said. “Varya was able to hot-wire the mech and blast Anais with the targeting system.” He picked at the back of his teeth, trying to wedge a piece of bread from his molars when Anais batted his hand away. “Don’t do that,” she said, “it’s disgusting.”
“Sorry,” he said shyly, but his eyes were alight with excitement, and Sibylla could see that Anais’s touch had made him happy.
“But yeah,” Anais added. “He’s right. I went down hard. After that, they came in and scooped everybody up.”
“Which means, they’re up and we’re down,” Yumiko said. “But don’t worry, we’ll get that crazy bitch. You’ll see.”
Sibylla lied back in her bed as she felt a wave of discomfort wash over her. The thought of having to face off against Varya again made her scared. She’d barely escaped with her life this time. Who’s to say she’d be as lucky the next time they met?
“What’s wrong?” Anais asked.
“Huh?” Sibylla looked up, tearing away from her thoughts. “Uh, nothing. I’m just tired. That’s all. So…why are you guys here?”
A confused glance passed amongst the three recruits and it took a while before Yumiko finally answered. “Because,” she offered with a shrug. “We’re friends now, right?”
The words struck Sibylla like an unsuspecting kiss. And she suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Before she could respond, she was saved by the figure of a man appearing in the doorway.
The entire room snapped to attention as the man slowly entered. Doctors and nurses straitened. Recruits—injured and tired— lifted in their beds, doing their best to sit up straight. Even Yumiko, Tayshaun, and Anais had shot upright, their playful expressions vanishing in an instant.
Only Sibylla didn’t move.
General Richard Murdock looked as stern and dignified as the day she’d first met him. Tall and lean, with a groomed mustache, the older man was the perfect embodiment of humbled stoicism. He strode into the room with a casual gate, waving a dismissive hand at the sudden attention. “At ease,” he ordered.
The room relaxed like a slow exhale, and people began to move about again. Medical staff returned to their duties. Doctors went back to examining patients. The change was instant.
Sibylla watched as Yumiko, Anais, and Tayshaun staggered back in awe, creating room for the famous soldier as he strode toward Sibylla’s bed, each of them watching him in wonderment, each of them appearing as though they were staring at a movie star.
“Sibylla,” Murdock greeted with a familiar nod, reaching for his cap and tucking it beneath his arm.
“Richard,” Sibylla replied in the same mature tone, drawing out the ridiculousness of it.
Her squad mates watched wide-eyed, clearly confused by what they were seeing. What was the leader of the Allied Forces doing with a common criminal like Sibylla? The general noticed them with an arched brow. “And who are these fine recruits?”
“My…” Sibylla struggled to find the right word. “Squad mates,” she finished.
“Aw,” Murdock said, granting them an approving nod. “Good. Very good. Well, carry on then.”
They shot him a crisp salute, then raced for the door, clumsily bumping into each other as they exited the room.
Sibylla cringed in embarrassment, lowering her head and waiting until they’d completely left to speak. “Sorry ‘bout that. They’re kind of awestruck.”
“But not you?”
“I kind of have a problem with the military if you haven’t noticed.”
“Ah,” he said, pointing a knowing finger at her. “I think I remember you saying something about that.” He craned his neck
to get a better look at her bandages. “I see you’re doing…well.”
“Oh, this?” Sibylla said, pointing at the back of her head. “This is nothing. You should’ve been here a couple of days ago when I got shot in the leg and tossed out of a plane. Now that was something.”
“Yeah, I heard about that,” the general said, having the grace to look ashamed by it. “I’m sorry. The Eagles can be…overenthusiastic at times.”
“At times?”
He motioned to the edge of her bed, seeming tired. “Do you mind?”
Sibylla lifted her knees to her chest, making room for the General to take a seat.
It was good to see the old man, Sibylla thought. If it hadn’t been for him, she and Dillon would’ve ended up with Division, something that still haunted her. Besides, with him here, she could find out all she could about Dillon, something she’d wanted more than anything. “How is he?” Sibylla whispered.
Murdock graced her with a smile. “Better. We’ve transported him to a secure place where they’re looking after his wounds.”
“You’re still holding him?”
“For now. The powers that be want to make sure that he’s doing okay.”
“You mean they want to make sure that I’m going to go through with this.”
“Investors like to monitor their investments.”
“So, I’m an investment, now?”
“A very risky one it appears.” Murdock grinned. “I reviewed the results of the battle.”
“Impressed?” she asked sarcastically.
He paused as he considered his answer. “Confused. You didn’t fire a single shot?”
Sibylla sensed the disappointment in his voice and lowered her head. “I couldn’t do it. I thought I could, but I can’t.”
Murdock shook his head. “Sibylla, you’re a soldier, now. It doesn’t matter what you can or can’t do, it’s what you’re ordered to do. That’s what war’s about.”
“I didn’t ask for war.”
“No one ever does.” He stared at her through weary eyes, the hoarseness of his voice like tired leather. She could only guess at the problems he was dealing with.
Sibylla of Earth: Book One of the Anunnakiverse Page 14