Homeward: The Ship Series // Book Three

by Jerry Aubin

  Seventy-five secs after he first ordered the Marines to the surface, the Boss and Bailee turned a final corner and stumbled into blinding sunlight. The cave entrance had originally sat in the dark under the impenetrable jungle canopy, but when a Marine company put their efforts into creating an evac zone they were incredibly effective. The air reeked of smoke from hundreds of stumps which smoldered around the new clearing. There was already just about enough space, so the Marines were certain to create a sufficient landing zone before Major Eryn arrived.

  The Boss continued to shield his eyes with his hands and turned to watch as Crew spilled out of the cave entrance. More than a few tripped and fell due to the glaring light after so much time away from the sun, but his Plug eventually showed all green when everyone in the landing party was present and accounted for. Imair stood off to his right and waited with her eyes closed. She appeared pained and winded, but she had kept pace with him every step of the mad dash out of the cave. The Boss was impressed.

  He checked his Plug. It had been one hundred and thirty secs since he had given his evacuation orders. Just like clockwork, the drone of the shuttle’s engines in the distance announced its approach. The Boss called up to the Ship.

  “Mini-Boss—sitrep?”

  “Nothing about our situation has changed, Boss. The spacecraft is still inbound and they have not launched any craft.”

  “Excellent. We’re within thirty secs of extraction and takeoff. If we don’t get to the emergency rendezvous within the next one hundred and twenty mins, you will take my position and advise the civilians to consider us killed in action and tell them to move on.”

  There was a long silence as the Boss’s words sank in. Eventually, the Mini-Boss replied.

  “Aye-aye, Boss. Stay safe. See you at the rendezvous.”

  Who knew what moving on for the Ship would even mean at this point. The Boss was certainly unsure what he might advise Imair to do next if they managed to get off this rock and back up to the Ship. When they got off this rock, he corrected as he allowed himself a relieved smile at the sight of Major Eryn’s shuttle preparing to land. He was about to order everyone to form up and prepare to board as fast as possible when an inconceivable sound distracted him. The Boss tried to rationalize the noise away as anything other than what it had to be, but that proved impossible.

  Another craft was approaching their position.

  From behind.

  And it was coming in fast.

  34

  Would you like to speak with him?

  Zax picked up on the noise just as the Boss’s head started to turn. He was swiveling his around in the same direction to identify the sound when something bright streaked across his field of vision.

  The shuttle was hovering a couple of hundred meters above them as it prepared to descend for pickup. The bright streak was a missile that struck the shuttle midship. For a split-sec Zax dared to hope the craft had effectively swallowed the projectile without significant harm, but then a series of secondary explosions bloomed and tore the shuttle apart. Zax loosed an agonized cry at the realization Mase was at its controls and going down with the doomed machine.

  Fiery debris began to rain down, and Zax scrambled along with everyone else for the cover of the cave entrance. He found himself in a tight knot of Crew up against Bailee and the Boss. The Marine bled profusely from his scalp but spoke calmly to the Omega.

  “Sir—I saw that Major Eryn ejected the flight deck as the shuttle disintegrated. I’ve sent a squad to see if they survived. I never got a look at whatever took them down, but I heard it fly off in the direction it came from.”

  “That’s good news, Sergeant.” The Boss paused for a couple of secs and then continued. “I just heard from Odon. Charlie Company has some light injuries from the debris, but they’re all alive. They’ve taken cover in the jungle on the other side of the landing zone and are awaiting orders.”

  Sergeant Bailee pointed at Zax and then at something behind him. Zax turned and discovered Kalare was right there. She stood with Aleron and the rest of the engineering team. He had wanted to grab her earlier while they all sat around waiting for the colonists’ leader, but she talked with Aleron the entire time. Regardless of the bully’s newfound humanity, Zax was unable to approach the two of them together. The Marine spoke.

  “Whether we find Major Eryn or not, we’ve still got these two who can fly the other shuttle. I recommend we send them along with a platoon from Charlie Company to go and bring it back for the rest of us.”

  The Boss shook his head. “No, Sergeant. When that shuttle takes off it needs to get off this planet immediately before it winds up destroyed as well. We all must go together.”

  It was the Marine’s turn to appear dubious. “With all due respect, sir, that will take forever given the size of this group and the terrain between here and there. Will the Ship wait for us?”

  The Boss shook his head again. “I just tried hailing them. They’ve left the system as instructed. If we don’t get to the shuttle fast enough to meet them at the emergency rendezvous, I’ve given orders to assume we’re dead and they should leave.”

  Zax’s emotions were being tossed to and fro. He found himself taken aback by the depths of his feelings regarding Mase—first his despair at assuming the boy had been killed and then his joy at hearing he might have survived. That joy was tempered as he listened to the Boss and then contemplated their situation and the likelihood of spending the rest of his life on this planet. A short time ago he would’ve been excited to live in the paradise around him, but that was before they had been attacked. Between the ants on the other continent and whatever unknown alien species had just destroyed their shuttle on this one, this place was no longer living up to its high habitation rating.

  In the shadows, on the other side of the Boss and the other members of the Crew who were milling around, lurked the young colonist who had shot Imair. The presence of the boy triggered an idea, and Zax pointed at him and called out to the Omega.

  “Boss—why don’t we ask the colonist if there’s a faster path for getting back to the shuttle?”

  The young colonist’s brown eyes went wide when he recognized Zax was talking about him. He turned to flee but stopped short as if he had walked into an invisible wall. He was lifted off his feet and a moment later a Marine lifted the visor on her ChamWare and spoke.

  “I was keeping a close eye on this one, Boss, after what happened earlier. Would you like to speak with him?”

  The Boss smiled. “Well done, Marine. Bring him here.”

  The colonist had clearly learned the futility of struggling during his earlier capture, and he didn’t bother trying to escape. The Marine placed him back on the ground and walked him toward the Boss. She remained invisible other than her face, but indentations were visible from where the Marine’s grip held firmly around the fleshy part of the boy’s arm. She maneuvered the boy in front of the Boss, released his arm, and dropped her visor. Zax assumed she stayed nearby in case the colonist attempted to bolt again.

  The Boss raised his arm toward the boy like he had earlier when he destroyed the tree. Zax was certain the man no longer held an invisible blaster, but the boy was clueless about that and the gesture had the desired effect as his legs began to tremble.

  “You remember what I did earlier, son? I’m only going to ask you this question once, so I better believe your answer. Is there a faster route to the dark city than going back the way we came with you the first time?”

  Zax empathized with the colonist as he well understood what it was like to feel the weight of the Boss’s unspoken threats. The boy paused for a couple of secs and then bit his lower lip and nodded his head.

  “Good decision yet again, son. Can you describe it to us so we can get there on our own?”

  This time the boy shook his head. “It’s underground. The emergency exit for us. It’s much faster and will put you out near the edge of the jungle just outside the dark city. I will take you there.”


  The Boss nodded and then turned to Bailee. “Any word on Major Eryn?”

  “Yes, sir. They recovered her and the cadet who was co-piloting with her. Minor injuries—they’ll be fine. No other survivors from the shuttle.”

  The Boss closed his eyes for a moment and then replied. “Thank you, Sergeant. I’ve instructed Major Odon to get back here with his Marines. Please do the same with the Search and Rescue squad. If we don’t get to that shuttle fast enough to catch up with the Ship, we might as well trade in our uniforms for animal skins.”

  35

  What's the information worth to you, Boss?

  The acrid smoke hit Imair as soon as she exited the tunnel and emerged into the jungle. It only intensified as the vegetation began to thin out and they approached the edge of the abandoned colony. No one said a word, but it was clear from their sullen expressions that everyone understood what they were likely to find when they reached the landing pad. As they came out from below the last of the jungle canopy, the young colonist approached the Boss with his hand over his eyes to shield them from the sunlight.

  “Am I free to go? The jungle is safest for us, especially in the brightness of the day.”

  “You are.”

  The boy turned to leave but the Boss called out and signaled for him to wait. The Omega swung his kit bag off his shoulders and rummaged around inside for a few secs. Eventually his hand emerged with a pair of tinted goggles. The Boss approached and extended the strap around the boy’s head and settled the lenses over his eyes. The colonist had appeared frozen in fear when the Boss first approached, but his body language switched when the man stepped away. His eyes were wide with excitement—an expression only possible due to the heavy tint of the goggles.

  The Boss smiled at him. “Thank you for your help. We are indebted to you.”

  Without a word, the boy spun and bolted back toward the tunnel entrance. Imair approached and spoke softly to the Boss.

  “That sort of kindness is unlike you. I thought we wanted to be certain we left nothing modern behind?”

  “I’m not always a heartless monster, Madam President. Besides—I have a sneaking suspicion based on the column of smoke over there that we might be on this planet for the rest of our lives. Making friends with the locals might pay off. Come on—let’s go see what fate has in store for us.”

  The Boss turned to leave and Imair walked alongside as they entered the colony. It was almost as if he was treating her like an equal. A few mins and a half dozen turns later the group established a clear line of sight to the landing pad and confirmed what they had all expected. The second shuttle was a burning, twisted pile of wreckage. Shoulders slumped and muttered curses passed the lips of many. The Boss allowed the reactions to continue for a min and then stood tall with his shoulders back and faced the group with a look of fierce determination.

  “We’ve been hoping for a different outcome, but you’re all too smart to be surprised by the scene in front of us. It’s done. We can’t change it. This planet is our new reality. Crew from Flight can ask any of the Marines, and they’ll be happy to share how there are far, far worse places to get stranded.

  “I need time to discuss all of this privately with President Imair. Once the President and I are done, we’ll meet with the rest of the senior leadership so all of you stay close. We’re going to figure out what comes next. In the meantime, we need to be safe and prepare.

  “Major Odon—have your Marines establish a perimeter and a watch rotation. Send a platoon to search the colony for items that might prove useful for long-term survival. The original colonists left a lot of useful stuff behind, so let’s be sure we don’t make the same mistake. Everyone else—use the time to rest. We’re going to be busy for a long while. Any questions?”

  There were none so the Boss gestured for Imair to follow him toward the administration building. She started walking but stopped and turned when a voice called out behind her.

  “Boss—a question, please?”

  It was the female cadet. The one who was always hanging around with Zax. Clare or Kalar or something like that. The Boss smiled. Clearly she was one of his favorites. The cadet spoke.

  “Boss—I thought I heard the colonists’ leader say they had been warned to stay away from the colony. Wouldn’t it be a better idea for us to make camp elsewhere?”

  “I actually haven’t said anything yet about us making camp here, Kalare. We need time to plan right now, and this is the best place to do it. It has great cover and is defensible for a group as well-armed and prepared as we are. All that said, please don’t tell me you’re worried about the superstitious ramblings of some primitive. We’ve surveyed the planet extensively. We know the ants are on the other continent, and they have no means of getting from there to here.”

  The cadet looked at the ground sheepishly as she replied, “Yes, sir. Sorry to bother you, sir.”

  The Boss turned once again toward the administration building and Imair quickened her pace to get next to him.

  “You treated her a little harshly there, Boss.”

  “I appreciate that input, ma’am. I’ve spent a lot of years mentoring cadets, and I believe I’ve gotten pretty good at it. That’s the exact message she needed at that moment.”

  Imair dropped the topic. Her energy was better saved for the difficult discussions she suspected were coming next. They entered the building, and the Boss gestured for her to sit. He did the same. She waited in silence for a few mins until it became unbearable.

  “What are you thinking, Boss?”

  “I’d like to put that question back to you, ma’am. I’m curious that you aren’t more concerned about what we’re facing here.”

  “I’m far more worried about how we’ll survive the next few hours than how we’ll survive in the long term. Aren’t you worried about whoever destroyed the shuttle coming back here to finish the job?”

  “Our experience, Madam President, is that most aliens don’t worry about tracking down small bands of individuals. They focus on destroying technology first and then dealing with large settlements. The most reasonable expectation if these aliens decide they want to stay in this system is they will deal with the ants first. Therefore, I’m guessing we have weeks to sort out our long-term survival strategy.”

  “That makes sense. You seemed shocked when the shuttle got destroyed. Did the Ship not warn you there was a hostile craft inbound?”

  “That’s one thing giving me pause, ma’am. The Ship told me the alien spacecraft had not launched any fighters. They must have some form of advanced technology that allows them to evade our sensors.”

  “Do you think advanced technology also explains how they got down here and found us so quickly? I may have lost track of time, but I’m almost positive it was less than three min from when their ship jumped into the system until that missile destroyed the shuttle. That’s almost an impossible amount of time in which to launch and get down here from orbit, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, Madam President. I concluded that myself but haven’t wanted to alarm anyone who might not have noticed. This is clearly a species with great capability and—”

  There was a knock at the door and Major Odon entered.

  “Sir—we have a colonist who approached one of our guards and demanded to speak with our leader.”

  “What? I thought they never traveled out of the jungle in the sunlight.”

  “It isn’t one from the group we were just with, sir. This woman is wearing a standard colonial uniform and her eyes are normal. Shall I bring her in?”

  The Boss gaped at Imair. “Ma’am—this strikes me as pretty odd. Even if this is indeed a different tribe, how would they still have uniforms after all this time living away from the colony? We don’t have time for this, but we should be sure we understand what’s going on around here.”

  “I agree. Bring her in, Major.”

  Major Odon made a face like he had just swallowed something rotten when he received the order fr
om Imair, but she couldn’t care less. The Boss had done a good job of helping her earn the respect of the Flight staff since the Revolution, but clearly work remained with the Marines. Did it really matter? Even as good as her relationship with the Boss had become, it was probably a safe bet her days in a leadership role were numbered if the planet indeed became their permanent home.

  A min later the door opened again and a female colonist was led in by two Marine sergeants. The Boss turned and his face paled. He tried to recover his composure quickly, but Imair was unconvinced. Her lack of conviction was only furthered by the tenor of his voice when he addressed the Marines.

  “You’re dismissed, Sergeant.”

  “But, sir, the major instructed us to remain with you for security purposes.”

  “Get out, Sergeant. That’s a direct order.”

  The Marines turned and left without a further word in response to the magic phrase. Imair found herself holding her breath as the Boss and the colonist stared each other down. Finally the woman spoke.

  “I never thought I would see you again. I promised myself I would kill you if that ever proved false, but your goons did a great job searching me and took all my weapons.”

  Imair was dumbfounded. “Wait—you two know each other? How is that possible? This colony was established more than a thousand years ago.”

  “She wasn’t part of this colony, ma’am. She was chief of colonial security at a different colony we established roughly two years ago in Ship time. You might remember it—the first planet we found after the interstellar desert. How the hell did you get here, Chief?”

  “What’s the information worth to you, Boss?”