The Gathering Storm

by Marshall Miller

  “Thank you, Andrew. I guess I owe you my life. But I don’t understand. Why didn’t you hand me over to the Squids? Don’t they give you orders?”

  “Captain, I am assigned to the Director. My orders from his Lordship were to follow Director Lloyd’s orders, as long as they were not suicidal or subversive. I have not received any new orders from his Lordship, so they stand. I was told to collect you, and so I did.”

  “What about the Squid you killed with a rock? And the one you cut protecting me? What about those actions?”

  Andrew paused for a microsecond, and then answered. “I have been given the ability to decide who lives, who dies. I decided you live. So, the others must die. It is simple, really.”

  Torbin wondered, as had many others, how much humanity did these Earth-based cyborgs retain? He would have to watch Andrew during the flight, and see if he could figure it out. As exited the cell, Andrew formed both very large men that they would not need to escort Torbin to the Falcon. “I do not think Captain Bender will attempt to flee.”

  Torbin snorted. “What, and get drilled in the back of the head with a one hundred mile an hour plus fast ball? I don’t think so.”

  Torbin thought he saw a ghost of a smile on the exposed mouth of Andrew. The protective visor with a heads up display covered the robo’s eyes, so he could not see a twinkle. But he could swear there was one.

  They walked down the hallway to an exit door when he suddenly saw a familiar face. He called out, “Kathy. Kathy Monroe!”

  She stopped at the sound of his voice. Kathy looked as if she was torn, trying to make the decision whether to disappear down the hall or greet him.

  “You wish to speak to Miss Monroe?” Andrew asked.

  “Yes, please.”

  Andrew put a powerful hand on Torbin’s right shoulder and walked with him toward Kathy. She tried to beam her signature smile, but seemed to have difficulties doing so. “Hi Torbin.”

  “Hi, Kathy. Long time no see, at least in person. You look great.”

  Kat tried to reply, but she was blinking back tears.

  “Hey, no need to turn on the water works. I’m just happy to see you’re alright.”

  Then she was hugging him. She buried her face in his shoulder and began to cry. Torbin immediately stroked her hair and rubbed her back. “Hey, sweetie, it’s Torbin. Remember, Mister Smartass? No need to cry. Everything is working out. Andrew is helping me get home, in a roundabout way, but home nonetheless.”

  Finally, she stopped crying, and looked him in the face. “Sorry, you just brought back…memories of a much better time. I’ve kind of been on an opposite side for a while.”

  Torbin kissed her forehead. He reached into his pocket and produced the vial the Director had shown him. “I just had an illuminating talk with the Director. I don’t think any of us has been working with a full deck.”

  She looked at the vial. She hugged Torbin again, and then kissed him. “I missed you, and I still miss William. I always will. No matter what happens, just remember I loved him with all my heart. He was the best thing in my life.”

  “I miss him, too.” A tear tumbled down Torbin’s cheek. He quickly wiped it away, hoping no one saw it. It would ruin his reputation of a hard ass Marine.

  “Hey, before I go, I’m married, and my wife has a bun in the oven.” He looked in an interior pocket of his fatigues and found one of the business cards Aleks had hand drawn for him, a little crumpled but still readable. “Take this. Get a hold of me when you can. I will find a place for you if you show up. Okay?”

  Kathy beamed. “Okay. Congrats. Tell your wife to treat you right or she’ll have a lot of angry people on her doorstep.” She hugged him again and kissed him. Then she turned and walked quickly down the hall.

  Torbin drew a deep breath.

  “Shall we go now, Captain Torbin?”

  “Yes, Andrew. Thank you for letting me speak with her. She was like family once.”

  Andrew stood still for a few moments. “Yes, we all had family, once. For some, like you, family will happen again. The human family is what makes humanity good, no matter its flaws. Now, come. We must leave. We have some distance to cover.”

  He and Torbin walked toward the Falcon.

  CHAPTER 29

  MALMSTROM ARMED FORCES BASE, MONTANA

  As Torbin was saying hello and goodbye to Kathy Monroe, Aleksandra was giving an orientation briefing to a twelve man team of Free Russian spetsnaz at Malmstrom Operations, now Armed Forces Base. They had just arrived, having been held at an outpost in Alaska until the word came down that the nuke strike had occurred.

  Three days prior, the Russian President had died of a stroke. The second in command–the Prime Minister–was a former female General. Madam President had called her upon hearing of the death. The former Russian President seemed very hesitant to commit much of anything to the Free Alliance, as it was now being called.

  A short conversation with new President Alina Federov, Free Russia, and all that changed. She had said, “Madam President, I have lost children, you have lost children. If we are to lose any more, let us lose them together, fighting these filthy aliens.”

  Finally, the offensive arm of the Free Alliance was coming together. As Aleksandra was explaining the layout of the base, where their quarters were, where to report in the morning, they suddenly all came to attention and saluted. “Good morning, General,” the Senior Lieutenant called out in excellent English.

  Aleksandra spun around and came to attention, caught off guard by the unexpected presence of General Reed. “At ease, please. I just need to borrow the good Captain for a minute. Aleksandra, please walk with me.”

  As they turned and walked away, General Reed shared his information. “I have just received word about our wayward Captain.” Aleks held her breath.

  “I do not know how that sneaky Marine did it, but he is being taken to Deseret, formally the state of Utah. We just got a long distance phone call at Security Control that the Squids and specifically the Director, had made arrangements to let him return home.

  “Apparently, the Mormons have heard some positive things about Torbin, and are more than happy to help him on his way. They will provide land transport in the next day or so, and we will meet them on the road. They asked that a young officer be allowed to come to Malmstrom to act as an unofficial liaison. Looks like The Latter Day Saints are having giving some thought to how they’d like the future to look.”

  Aleksandra had not really been paying much attention to what the General was saying past the fact that Torbin was alive and coming home. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks. General Reed handed her a clean handkerchief. “Here. Can’t let the spetznaz see you blubbering. Blow your nose, and dab your tears. The father of my godchild is coming home. Now, carry on.”

  Aleks slowly began to recover her composure. They had heard yesterday that Ichiro and a few others had made it to the Tamiami Trail in the Everglades on the B-25, and were making the rest of their trip by foot, unless the General could arrange some clandestine air travel. But, at least they were alive, and had a chance of sneaking back if they stayed away from the coasts.

  Last she knew, Torbin was being grabbed by a robocop. Now, he was alive. And soon to be free. The rest of the day Aleks felt like she was floating on a cloud. Her love was coming home.

  CHAPTER 30

  ATLANTA, CATTLE COUNTRY

  In Atlanta, word quickly spread that a nuclear weapon had been detonated over the Squid stronghold. Malcolm Carver ordered all further meat shipments to Savannah immediately stopped.

  “Well, what do you know? That trash attacked without us pushing them.” Malcolm pulled a couple of cigars out of his desk and threw one to Joe. He knew Red did not smoke, so he did not offer her one. But he flashed a big smile at her, which she returned. He had to remind himself that she was not his bitch, but a needed member of his staff.

  “Now, the fun begins. Joe, Red, help our Captains find as much shelter from attack as p
ossible. We are not going to have time for any more construction. We’ll make do with what we have.” He lit his cigar and blew a smoke ring. “Ol’ Nat Turner, I wished you could see what’s about to happen.”

  CHAPTER 31

  PLATFORM ONE

  The Olson twins had been working for over twenty-four hours straight. The Tschaaa minor Lord the humans called the Wizard had flown into a rage over the death of Dr. Smith, the damage to his station, and the theft of the spaceplane. Dark with wrath, he almost had Dr. Smith’s husband throttled when the doctor began to blubber about his wife. “Shut up, you worthless monkey!” he had screamed over the translator. “Get back to work and give me results… now! I will not be embarrassed again!”

  The nuclear strike at His Lordship’s complex had outraged the Tschaaa. As they stormed through the corridors, humans on the station largely went into hiding, other than a couple of individuals who went catatonic. When the aliens’ tantrum subsided, the humans were dragged out of their quarters and told, again, to get to work.

  Samuel glanced over at his tired twin Sandy. “Well, here goes, might as well see if we can get this thing to turn on. I don’t know how much more time we have.” A soldier was posted outside the work area. They clambered into the “saucer”, and Samuel took a seat in what passed for the pilot’s position. Another one of the form-fitting reclined seat positions enclosed Sandy’s body. Every hour, the craft had become more and more attached to them personally. Samuel crossed his fingers, and then manipulated his fingers in the joystick that formed around his hand. He thought what he wanted to happen, moved his digits…

  Suddenly, they were no longer inside the station known as Platform One. In fact, they were nowhere near it. “Damn, Sandy. We’re in another system.” He thought of the hangar they just left and they were back. He turned to his twin and grinned.

  The perfect storm had ended. Another kind of storm was brewing.