Dave
Dave recognized their rag-tag yet pro outfits instantly and froze. These were Warden rangers, and they had him trapped. He sighed. Six of them surrounded him, and he was unarmed save for a small sidearm tucked into his pocket. He thought about the destruction sequence on Counselor Novak’s device, but didn’t stand a chance. It was still in his backpack, impossible to reach. Nothing he could do. Five of them were pointing their rifles at him, while the sixth, the leader walked leisurely up to him.
“So, Wagner, this is where you are. Don’t you think you’ve run far enough? All the way across the Rift and all.” He smiled, and Dave knew that he was right. He was tired of running.
“Just shoot me then,” he said, not really meaning it, but too tired to try to find a way to escape. He‘d been on the run for too long. The leader just laughed, though.
“Shoot you? No, son, I’m not going to shoot you. But first, give me your gun. Carefully,” he said. Dave put his hand in his pocket. For a split second, he thought about firing it, but he had no way to aim, and would probably miss. And in any case, he’d be an easy target for the Wardens. He slid the gun carefully out of his pocket with two fingers and placed it in the Warden leader’s hand.
“Thank you. Now, my orders are to bring you in, across the Rift and back to Warden territory. We’ll deal with you then, but I doubt you’ll be shot. We have better ways,” he said. Dave wondered for a moment what he meant, but then he decided not to. He would find out, soon enough. And there was nothing he could do about it, anyway, so why worry. He looked at the five others. All were masked. One was obviously a woman, shorter and built a bit differently than the others. The others were tall, athletic types; the favored profile when selecting rangers. They all seemed laid back, yet alert. Confident.
“Sidnell, you take the lead.” The woman trotted off, while Dave stood staring after her, stunned .
Liz, his friend from their first days as initiates. She was here; she was one of his captors. He wanted to call out after her, but somehow, he didn’t think it would make much of a difference. In the beginning, she had been friendly, and she had seemed knowledgeable and competent. She had been an obvious ranger candidate from day one, while he had been more science or tech material. After her first mission with the other newly minted rangers, she returned changed somehow. Dave knew Bliss had something to do with it, the combination of drugs that made the recipients susceptible to manipulation of perception and memory. In fact, he had experienced it himself later on, and he suspected she was under its influence even now. She hadn’t seemed to recognize him at all this time, and that chilled him to the bone. Perhaps they had completely altered her memory, changed her for good, erased everything except the things they chose for her to remember. And he was certainly not one of those things. He shuddered at the thought, and immediately got the feeling that was something he would have to expect once they returned to the Covenant.
He felt the strips tightening around his wrists, as the leader strapped them on and made sure they were too tight for comfort, although not tight enough to stop his circulation completely.
“Move,” the leader said, and another gave Dave a push in the back. He walked in the direction Liz had gone. The leader and one other remained behind him, while the others fanned out to either side.
Dave moved as quickly as he could. When he slacked off, he was prodded along, and he stumbled and almost fell several times trying to keep up the pace.
They kept this up for probably about an hour. It was hard to keep track of time, but Dave had learned enough from Warden training to have a pretty good sense of how long they’d been walking. In a short while, they would reach the Rift, and once across, he’d be lost. Either way though, barring a miracle, he already was.
Mark
Mark strode inside the head servant’s office, and one of the guards closed the door behind him. He walked across the room and sat down in one of the leather, high-back chairs.
“I’m calling a council meeting for tomorrow morning,” Lunde said. Mark raised his eyebrows slightly and cocked his head.
“We already have one scheduled later this week. What’s so urgent?” he said. The head servant didn’t answer immediately, but picked up two of his finest glasses and poured a couple of stiff drinks. Now Mark began to really wonder. He and Alexej Lunde might have a drink together on occasion, but from the look of things, it seemed his friend had already had one, and now he needed another. Not an everyday occurrence, by far. Mark took his drink when Alexej offered it to him, and sipped. It was the good stuff, the strong stuff.
“You expect me to need this?” Mark said, tentatively. Alexej shook his head.
“No idea. But I definitely need it,” he said. Mark decided to wait. He knew Alexej would eventually get to the point. The head servant sat down next to him and took a big gulp before he spoke.
“It’s been more than two centuries since the Fall. Two centuries that have seen the rise of the Moon people. We have come a long way, from those crummy Moon bases. I can’t imagine how that must have been, thousands of people living practically on top of each other. But now, we’re firmly back on Earth, and our empire has expanded from the first camps to almost half of this continent. And it’s still not enough.” Alexej sighed and took another gulp. Mark was seriously wondering if he was drunk already. If he wasn’t, he would be soon enough.
“What are you talking about?” Mark said. Alexej chuckled, as if he knew some secret the other didn’t, and to Mark it seemed he did.
“I’m talking about Earth, the solar system. But anyway, Mark, I remember you once told me how you discovered the secret to our longevity. How it was more of a coincidence than anything else; that you discovered this big secret hidden deep within our human biology that could be manipulated under the right circumstances. And that once you had perfected your cryo tech, that was the final key, the conditions required for such manipulation to succeed.” Mark nodded carefully. He remembered. He also remembered how this great discovery had been overlooked, since they all had more pressing matters. They were trying to save humanity, and longevity wasn’t a priority back then. But Mark had kept working, researching, testing, until he was absolutely certain it would work. And then came the Fall.
“You know that project you were working on all those years ago...” Mark realized he’d drifted away for a moment. Alexej was speaking, and Mark focused his attention on the head servant.
“They succeeded.”
Chapter 13
Evan
“You will regret this,” First Janissary Ivanov said between gritted teeth, his face red and fuming. Evan knew he might be right, but he no longer had a choice. Once started, this could not be undone, and the wheels were in motion.
He motioned for the older man to sit still and checked the motion detector he was wearing on his wrist next to his watch.
“How long until they’re here?” Evan said. Ivanov didn’t answer. He spat at Evan, who just barely dodged it.
“Save it, or you’re going to have a heart attack,” he said, as Ivanov struggled to break free of his bonds.
“That thing is unbreakable, unless you have a diamond-cutter. I don’t suppose you have one handy, do you?” The First Janissary didn’t reply.
“Good, that’s what I thought.”
“What would your father say to...” Evan cut him off and shot him an angry look.
“Carl Hordvik is not the one you should be thinking about now. Now, you will do as I say, or a younger Ivanov will inherit the family seat on the council sooner than expected. Is that clear enough for you?”
The First Janissary nodded weakly.
“Good, now answer me this: where is your access chip?” Evan knew that every member of the council, just like anyone of Strategos or equivalent rank, had a chip injected into them that allowed them access to the full transport system of Earth and Luna. Accessing that was key to Evan’s rudimentary plan. Ivanov set his teeth, and Evan held up his gun, raising his eyeb
rows slightly.
“I have nothing to lose at this point...” he said. He stood silent, glaring at his prisoner, until Ivanov sighed and looked away.
“It’s here, right chest, just above the nipple.”
“Good,” Evan said, producing a small instrument that looked like a flashlight. “Now, this will hurt just a little.”
Sucking the chip out took but three seconds with the tool Evan used, but it must have hurt, because Ivanov bit is lip hard enough that it started bleeding. Evan grinned at the First Janissary.
“Now we’re ready,” he said.
Mark
Mark sat in stunned silence, flashbacks passing through his mind. A visit to what used to be Arizona, watching a launch site and teaching technicians to operate the brand new cryo cells. The last conversation with his best friend, who was by then deeply entwined in a plot to change the future. The longest day of his life, holed up deep within the earth, while watching the downfall of humanity, mass extinction presented by the rising numbers on a screen. Later, a night when a great wrong was finally set right.
“What...” He took a deep gulp of his drink. “What do you mean?” he whispered. Alexej smiled weakly, staring out into nothingness.
“We have been watching for so long... But of course, we didn’t expect to see anything before two centuries had passed. It took that long for them to get there, and then for the first signals to reach us.” Mark nodded. He knew the basic physics, that what he could see on a starry night sky had actually happened in the past; that something happening forty light years away wouldn´t be visible on Earth until forty years later. Even though he had given it some thought now and then, he’d almost put it out of his mind. The star farers had found a new life, and it had nothing to do with life here on Earth. Not anymore.
“For years, we have studied the stars with those great telescopes on Luna, and in lunar orbit. We received the first signals a few years ago, so we have known for a while that they made it. But just recently, we discovered something else. And this is why I’ve called for the council meeting.” Alexej took a deep breath.
“We discovered an object, cloaked in some way, near Saturn,” he said. Mark sat silently, stunned by the news. Alexej emptied his glass and set it down again, carefully.
“This changes everything,” he continued. “First of all, we don’t know who or what it is, but we believe it might be something the colonists sent back to see if Earth survived. Second, and this is what worries me... The cloaking technology is far superior to our own. So if this is in fact the colonists, they have surpassed us technologically, somehow. Although it would be interesting to know how that can be, the “how” isn’t the most important issue here. If they have superior cloaking, they might have superior weapons. Which brings me to the most important question: who is in charge down here? Earth is not yet fully controlled by us, and though most inhabited places are nothing but tribal societies and small nation states, Buchanan still rivals us in every way. Until that is decided, the colonists may just as well decide they are better aligned with Buchanan. That would change the balance of power. If that should happen...”
“The Covenant will fall.” Mark finished what Alexej was saying, and they both fell silent for a moment.
“So we need to take Buchanan out of the equation, is that what you’re saying?” Mark asked, but Alexej shook his head.
“No, no. We’re not ready for that. But that is the logic many of the great families will follow. Ivanov for certain, and likely Stanislav. Perhaps even Hordvik.”
“But you said so yourself,” Mark said.
“There has to be a better way. If not, we may have to accept the loss of millions of lives, not to mention the environmental damage. A war with Buchanan would set Earth’s eco-system back to the levels right after the Fall. And that was a close call.” Lunde’s face got a pained expression, and Mark realized this was also a part of who the Moon people really were. Environmentalism was so deeply ingrained in them, even though they wouldn’t hesitate to use nuclear weapons if they thought it served the greater purpose. Realizing they might face a disaster in which they risked harming Mother Nature beyond repair was anathema to them.
“I’m afraid, Mark. I’m afraid we will make a great mistake, and possibly ruin this entire continent, if not the planet, if we move too soon. We need some way to make sure we are completely superior when we decide to make a move on Buchanan, and only then shall we strike. But holding Ivanov and his allies back will be extremely difficult.”
Mark sat back, considering the situation. With Sue on Luna and Dave likely in Buchanan already, things were beginning to look brighter, but this new information changed everything. He wondered how Evan would see it. The Hordviks, led by Evan’s father would probably lean toward moving on Buchanan, which would make Alexej too weak to stand up to them. That would almost certainly lead to him being replaced by a new head servant, and Mark shuddered at the thought of that being either Ivanov or Carl Hordvik. With these new developments, he hoped Evan would be able to help Sue on Luna, because Mark would be far too busy here, it seemed.
A plan began to form in his mind, and Mark chuckled.
“That’s how you look whenever you are cooking up something clever,” Alexej said, a smile forming. Mark grinned.
“I think I know how to make sure we don’t do anything irrational,” he said. He finished his own glass and set it down next to his friend’s.
“Go through with the council meeting. Make sure you don’t take a hard stance on the issue of what to do with Buchanan. Make sure everyone knows what’s at stake, and why you think it would be wise not to launch an all-out attack now. But don’t push the likes of Ivanov too far just yet, and whatever you do, don’t make any ultimatums. I do have a plan, and if I can make it work, I think we can avoid a premature war.”
Renee
Renee sat facing the three officers, waiting for one of them to say something. She had spoken to one of them, a blond major in his thirties, during her debriefing after she arrived in Buchanan, and remembered him as friendly but reserved. The others were new to her. An older woman in civilian clothes sat with arms crossed, eyeing her up and down. Renee felt uncomfortable, but tried not to show it. The last was a man, a colonel, somewhere between forty and fifty, and the only one who had smiled as she told them she wanted to join the Buchanan military. He was the one to speak first.
“Okay, I understand your motivation. Those people eradicated your country, they have killed your people by the millions, and you want to get back at them. I get it,” he said, his fingers absently fiddling with his mustache. He looked at her, and there was something in his expression-pity, sympathy-that made her cringe.
“That’s what makes it difficult to accept you. You would be a liability, no matter your qualifications. I for one don’t think you’re ready. Maybe later,” he said, stacking his papers and looking like he was eager to get this over with.
“I do know how to follow orders,” she said, “and I’m not stupid. I want to help, and sooner or later, you will need all the help you can get. Even from us French.” The man didn’t answer, and after a moment, he just began looking down at his papers. The younger man smiled at her again.
“There are still ways you can help, Miss Marsden. I think we can all agree that our conversations here have been very fruitful, and I’m sure we still have a lot to learn about the Covenant military.”
“What about the rangers? I’m highly trained and used to operating behind enemy lines. I know the rangers do undercover operations inside the Covenant. I bet I could be useful to them,” she interjected. The major shook his head.
“Colonel Braxton already told you. You cannot be trusted in that way, not yet. And I agree; your hate could, in certain situations, make you blind to the bigger picture. And just to make it clear, I speak for the rangers,” he said. Renee felt all hope leave her, and her shoulders slumped. She wanted nothing more than to fight back, to do something. But she knew they were right. Sh
e was dangerously close to being consumed by hatred, and who knew what she would do in any given situation.
The woman leaned forward. She hadn’t said anything so far, and Renee wondered if she was going to tell her to shut up and stop behaving like a petulant child. The stern look on her face during the entire meeting had said as much. She braced herself for the admonition.
“Forget about regular military service, Miss Marsden,” the woman said, her voice surprisingly mild. “The combination of your skills and your particular motivation would be very useful if we were at war with the Covenant. But we’re not. And we want to keep it that way. That means no unnecessary provocations or loose cannons.” Renee was about to retort, but the woman waved her off, and to Renee’s surprise, she remained silent. This woman had a way of filling the room with her presence, exactly when she chose to.
“However, it also means being ready for anything, and able to strike hard, should the Moon people decide to try changing the current status quo.” She leaned back again, and finally a smile crept forth.
“Which means we have to know them. Really know them. We have to know how they think, what they want, what they fear, and what they are capable of. And if they decide to do something, we need to know, preferably in advance. That way, we can act before it’s too late.” Renee nodded. It made a lot of sense. Know your enemy first, then you can prepare accordingly.
“So I’m going to ask you this: are you absolutely certain you want to serve, even if the needs of Buchanan run counter to your desire for vengeance? Even if it doesn’t necessarily involve military service? And even if it means getting no help whatsoever if something goes wrong?” Renee had thought the woman represented some kind of civilian agency; that she had something to do with settling the refugees or something similar. Now, she saw her in a completely new light, and she realized this woman was a whole lot more.
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