“Tick-tock,” the nondescript man said under his breath.
The office was still empty around him. The only audible sound was coming from the ticking clock on his desk. He stared at that clock, and then at the screen, and then back at the clock, and then once more at the screen.
The cursor on the screen wasn’t flashing anymore. It was typing. He watched as a message appeared on the chat box. Once the last letter was written, his heart began to flutter in his chest. He couldn’t quite believe it. It was happening. They had done it. The plan was in motion. And there was no way they could stop it.
The mission is a go. Ship inbound. Awaiting distraction. ETA one hour.
The non-descript man grinned and then stood up. He clicked the ‘X’ on the open chat window and then proceeded to shut his computer down. He didn’t have much time to prepare the final touches for this monumental occasion. But he wasn’t worried. He knew that an hour was plenty enough time to change the world… forever.
Chapter Nine
Operational leader Sam was gritting his teeth as he stared at his computer terminal. His nerves were beginning to get the better of him. Watching the screen, he wondered how significant the Alpha Ship One was. He had decided to put a tracker on the ship, observing its route and marking its projected course. But Sam was flabbergasted when he saw the ship turning a hundred-and-eighty-degrees, and making its way back toward Earth.
At first, Sam didn’t think much of it. Maybe the ship had finally heard about the ruckus that had occurred at Sector Eight. But then Sam’s intuition had pestered him into checking the ship’s flight logs. Every ship that contained a tracker onboard was also an open book when it came to checking previous flights. All Sam had to do was turn back a slider on the program and observe the ship’s previous flight paths and rest locations.
What surprised the operational leader the most was the fact that the ship had actually emanated from Sector Eight. And the timestamp on the ship log confirmed that the ship had vacated the area as soon as the trouble had commenced. So it didn’t make much sense to Sam that the ship was meandering its way back toward the planet. Unless, of course, it was just flying past it. Neither the former or the latter could be proven until the ship reached Earth. But Sam was determined to make sure that he kept a watchful eye on the mysterious Alpha Ship One.
“Is the ship turning around?” Maddie asked.
She was standing behind Sam, much like he had been standing behind her half an hour previously. Sam swiveled in his chair and faced her.
“It looks that way. There’s something off about that ship. I can feel it in my gut. Something is going on,” Sam said, swiveling back in his chair and facing his computer terminal.
Sam battered the keyboard with his fingertips for a few minutes. Maddie watched on as he searched the archives of the mysterious Alpha Ship One. A strange thing was occurring though. Every time he searched for the ship and its previous mission logs, an access denied message appeared on the screen.
Sam was one of the most high-ranking members of the Pilgrim Tech, at least in the office currently, and should have been able to access every single log from every single ship that formed a cohesive part of Earth’s fleet, be it commercial or otherwise. But the computer wasn’t allowing him access to Alpha Ship One’s records. And that just made Sam’s suspicions stronger.
“What do you think the deal is with this ship?” Sam said, turning back to face Maddie who was deep in thought.
She looked at him, surprised by his question. He wasn’t usually one to ask her advice, especially since she was just an office worker, and didn’t hold much clout when it came to a position on the all elusive corporate ladder.
“Well sir, I definitely think something strange is going on here. Maybe you should ask the bosses on the top floor why the Alpha Ship One has VIP access?” She said.
Sam shrugged her shoulders.
“I guess you’re right. Maybe I should ask. But judging by the mood on the top floor, I don’t think it will get me anywhere of any use. They are already trying to find a scapegoat for this whole mess, and I don’t want it to be me. So I guess I’m just going to keep my mouth shut, and get on with the job.”
Maddie nodded her head. She thought that Sam was right, and was smart enough to know when to ask the difficult questions and when to keep quiet. But obviously, if the Alpha Ship One was playing an active part in the rebels attacking Earth, Pilgrim Tech would be just as sour on Sam if they found out that he had been tracking the ship and had just ignored the potential warning signs.
But Sam wasn’t stupid, and she knew that he had a plan, even if he wasn’t divulging it to her. She trusted him implicitly, and if that meant her falling on his sword, and defending his job, she would do just that. But hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that.
“What the heck?” Sam said, sitting up in his seat, surprised at what he saw on his screen.
The Alpha Ship One was still making its way toward Earth, and would be about an hour away until it reached his jurisdiction. But that wasn’t what was surprising Sam. The ship’s radar had come online, and was now pinging Earth. It was as if the Alpha Ship One was trying to contact Earth. Pinging wasn’t part of most spaceships protocols. If contact had to be made with Earth, it would usually be over radio or video call. But the Alpha Ship One was using an old form of communication. A form of communication that was hard to detect. And also just as hard to decipher. It was similar to Morse code. And Sam was eager to know what the pinging translated to.
“You need to get somebody from communications down here. We have a situation,” Sam said, staring intently at the screen, listening to the radio waves ping off his ears.
He was right – this was definitely a situation in need of a trained comms guy, but he wasn’t sure if it was a situation he wanted any part of. But he had no choice in the matter. This was happening whether he liked it or not. But at least now there was some light at the end of the tunnel. A bright light in the form of a radio transmission.
The Alpha Ship One was now without a doubt a ship of interest.
***
I was feeling rather jangly. I couldn’t even hold my hands over the controls without them shaking uncontrollably like an alcoholic missing his fix of hard liquor. Now that I had been briefed by Commander Korr on the part that the Alpha Ship One would play in this mission, I felt a little relieved. But that didn’t stop me feeling like the whole Universe was weighing down on me, crushing my shoulders. This whole thing was a big deal. There were no second chances with this, it was either revolution or revolt. And to most, they represent the same thing. Unorganized chaos, coupled with violence. Overthrowing a government would not be easy, and I knew there would be a lot of turmoil after this. But I believed that we were doing the right thing.
I don’t regret much in my life, but I do regret not asking for a general consensus from my own crew. They were putting their lives on the line unequivocally for something that I had decided we’d be part of. I just hoped that they felt the same way as me. I just hoped that they would understand where I was coming from, and where I wanted us to be heading to. But now it was too late to ask them for their opinion. They were in this whether they liked it or not.
I had a feeling that one or two of them did not like it.
Philip hadn’t said a word since. He was sitting at his comms desk, observing lines of communication within the Milky Way Galaxy. So far, according to him at least, nobody had attempted to contact us.
So that meant that we weren’t being suspected of anything. I was willing to bet that the guys at Pilgrim Tech were scouring the Galaxy for suspicious looking ships. I knew that the Annex Rebel Fleet was serious about this endeavor, and had observed through my own readings that their ships were not trackable. But the problem was that the Alpha Ship One was trackable. And there was no way that I could disable the tracker onboard. It was pre-installed, and wasn’t over-rideable. We were stuck. Stuck in plain sight. And anybody that didn’t take a liking to my
ship, or saw it as suspicious, would be able to follow it on radar.
So that meant that I would have to be cautious when exiting warp drive and entering Earth’s atmosphere. I’d need to be just like any other ship, going about its business, not attracting suspicion. If I managed that, then I knew that this mission of ours would go off without a hitch. But then again, kidnapping the president of Pilgrim Tech and taking him back to the rebel’s planet was bound to be a little bumpy. I expected things to get serious, and get serious fast.
I just didn’t know how serious things would become.
If I had known, then maybe I would have done things a little differently. But hindsight is great and all, but the reality of the matter was things were far from done, and wouldn’t be done until a good while from now. So I had to remain calm, and pilot my ship and my crew to a revolution. A revolution that I believed in, and hoped to God that my crew believed in as well.
“I hope you’re happy with yourself, Capt. Flynn,” Philip said from his seat, his hands over his comms unit, fiddling with a few dials.
I looked up at him, and tried to form a smile. But smiling was hard. Especially when I realized that Philip did not share the same excitement about our mission. I guess my trepidation in not asking the crew their opinion on the rebels or the rebels’ cause was correct. And maybe it would have proven a lot easier to have had a vote on our participation, but then again, I was the Captain, and I chose our missions, not them.
“I’m as happy as a man can be, considering the situation that we are in. I did what I had to do, Philip. I hope that you can understand that. I hope that you can understand that this is the perfect time to affect change back on Earth, a change that will make sure that we as a group, as a crew, can survive the turbulent times ahead. That’s all I can hope for. And if things don’t go our way, I’ll hold my hands up high, and take the blame,” I said, trying to smile at Philip, trying to regain his trust.
But I could see that my efforts were futile. He wasn’t interested in hearing what I had to say. And if I wasn’t careful, I suspected that he could turn Teresa against me. Especially since two of them had a lot of history together. They had come onboard the Alpha Ship One together, also prisoners on the Ursine planet, and played a big part in destroying that planet.
“I don’t want you to take the blame for this, Capt. Flynn. All I want you to do is reassure me that this is the right thing to do. I mean, look at who we are associating with. Two bads don’t make a right. And two forces of evil certainly don’t make a revolution. This isn’t about toppling a corrupt government, nor is it about fighting for a noble cause. This is about deciding our future, and the future of our children. And I just want to know if our children can prosper under a new government. A government brought on by a revolution - a revolution incited by rebels. Or are they doing just fine right now?”
I sat there for a few seconds, staring at Philip, and then at Teresa, who was standing next to him. She didn’t look like she was excited about the prospect of our mission. I guess I understood why, seeing that we were not gaining anything from this apart from uncertainty.
Then again, we were a mercenary ship. We always have been. And we will always be a mercenary ship. But money tends to smooth the hard edges of uncertainty. And there was certainly no money in this, just hard edges, edges that pricked, edges that surrounded us and our future. But sometimes things were worth fighting for that didn’t involve financial gain. Sometimes it made sense to put everything on the line.
“I don’t have all the answers Philip. I don’t know what will happen after this, but I do know we have to work as a team. We cannot fall out over this. We have to remain united. That being said, I don’t want you to forget who’s in charge here. I am. And this is my ship. You work for me. You all work for me. And I have chosen to accept a mission that could benefit us tenfold in the future. We could finally be part of a society that doesn’t need a mercenary ship. We could be part of a society that openly trades with otherworldly aliens, bringing planets together and keeping humans prosperous.”
Philip nodded his head, and stood up.
“Yes, it’s true, we do need to remain a team. Whatever you choose, I’ll stand by your side. You saved my life back on the Ursine planet. And if that means I have to save your life in the future, so be it. I’m going for a piss,” Philip said, walking toward the double doors, and leaving the bridge. The doors automatically closed behind him, making a whoosh sound, rattling against my ears.
Nothing but silence followed his exit. A silence that was crushing and suffocating. I needed to get my thoughts together. And truth be told, I thought that a stiff drink was in order.
“Anybody fancy a refreshment?” I said, to no reply.
Not wanting to risk looking like more of a loser, I stood up and also made by way toward the double doors. If nobody wanted to drink with me, that was just fine. I was more than happy to drink for the lot of them. I had an hour to unwind before reaching Earth and its armies. And as things were, I thought a little Dutch courage was just what the doctor had ordered.
***
Commander Korr was feeling the strain. The pressure was starting to mount. It was starting to get to him. And he feared deep down that it was starting to become a little too much for him. But he was made of strong stuff. Stuff that his father had encroached on him. He was not the sort of man to back down from a challenge. And this was definitely a challenge. One of the biggest challenges that he had ever faced in his life. He was less than an hour away from realizing his dream. From inciting a revolution. A revolution that the people of Earth would be talking about for centuries to come.
They would teach his revolution in schools. Much like they taught the history of Rome, and other ancient civilizations. Civilizations that rose to the top of their age, and conquered everything in sight. But for Commander Korr, this wasn’t about conquering other planets.
This was about putting an end to the treachery that the government had forced upon its people. He had seen his father suffer at the hands of the government. When they didn’t have any use for him anymore, they threw his father away like trash. And not thinking twice, they hired another schmuck in his place.
That was how things worked back on Earth. It was an assembly line of manpower. Manpower that had very little rights. But the people of Earth had become used to their abusers. Become used to the idea that some people achieve and others flounder. But Commander Korr knew that was nonsense. Commander Korr knew that people had the power to effect change. And he also knew that change was very much in order. People had been crying out for it for the past couple hundred years. And the government pretended to listen, but they did nothing in response.
Nothing of any significance anyway. Sure, they pretended to invite change in the form of democracy. But it was all a thin veil, a veil that Korr and the people that he now commanded could see through. It was men and women like his that were the new warriors of change. And he had faith in them that they would succeed in their mission to overthrow the putrid government that lorded over them.
The Commander knew that this would be a battle best fought in ignorance. He knew that he had to be ignorant to the fact that the government outnumbered and outgunned his men. He knew that he had to be ignorant to the fact that if he was caught rebelling against the establishment, then every person that he knew, and every person that his crew knew, would suffer. But ignorance was bliss, and Commander Korr was feeling blissful. To him, the danger of being defeated was worth the idea of effecting permanent change on his planet.
“Okay, this is it,” Commander Korr said, holding a microphone to his mouth, speaking to his pilots stationed on his rebel planet, ready to fly into action.
“This is the moment we affect the history books. This is the moment we take down a government that oppresses other alien species in our Galaxy and galaxies far beyond. This is the moment we open up a new line of communication between other planets. This is the moment we take our own future into our own han
ds, just like our forefathers did hundreds of years ago. Sometimes change is needed. Sometimes that change is long overdue. And other times it is just an idea. But we know that this change, the change we are about to effect, is real. But make no mistake about it, it started as an idea. An idea that every single one of you helped shape. And now that it is fully formed, we can advance our mission.
“I have tasked each and every single one of you to be a part of the spearhead arrow that will strike itself into the heart of corruption. It is with this arrow that we will wage our war. And every war starts with a bang. It is this bang that will help us get to our target. Once we get that target, the President of Pilgrim Tech, we will’ve become victorious in our first battle. There will be many battles after this. But it is you, the formation of the arrow, the first arrow to penetrate the corrupt atmosphere around Earth, that will be recognized as the pioneers of this war.
“You are all game changers. And believe me, the game has changed. I just want you to know that your sacrifice on the battlefield will be forever recognized. And even though the humans outnumber you tremendously, know that once we have our target, we will outnumber them. Because all they will have left are numbers, while we will have the true substance of this battle. We will have the core. We will have the Earth. We will have the seas. We will have the mountains. We will have their leader. And once their leader becomes our prisoner, they too become ours. Ours to do as we please with. And it won’t be long until they surrender their arms and accept their new leaders - us,” Commander Korr said, putting the microphone back down and watching as his men got ready to fulfill their obligations.
The pilots within the ship’s roar in approval. After a minute or so of jubilation, a quietness settles around the men and women on the rebel planet. Some of them watch as ship after ship ascends toward the skies. Before they know it, there are few ships left. The ships that had exited the atmosphere make their way toward their target. Earth doesn’t know it yet, but a storm is heading their way.
Destroyer of Worlds (Alpha Ship One Book 2) Page 12