by Mark Tufo
I continued. “Beth has close to fifty highly motivated troops and she’s got about twenty hostages; I think she’s going to use them as leverage to get off this ship. That can’t be allowed to happen, Sergeant, not at any cost,” I added
“And the general?”
“Yeah, that’s the question of the day. Sergeant, that corporal that first met us and the lance corporal with him—I want them detained in a cell.”
“May I ask why, sir?”
“Suspicion of sedition. I’ll be back to talk to them later. Right now I have to gauge the general’s response to this threat.”
I got on the bridge, Paul looked about like I expected, haggard and at his wits end. “I’m aware, Mike,” was all he said as I entered.
“What are you planning on doing about it?”
“I’m letting her go.”
“Are you fucking insane?” I got right up into his face, not the best move to threaten the commander of a ship; Paul had three guards, loyal to him mostly, gently escort me to a more respectful distance back.
“She said she’ll kill the hostages.” Paul had met my gaze.
“I’m not so sure they are hostages; nothing makes better collateral. It could be staged to look that way,” I told him.
“I’d thought of that too. But that’s not the worst of it; she threatened to give the coordinates of the Hill away if I attempt to stop her.”
“Paul, now’s not the time for delicate wording. We are dealing with a terrorist. We have at least two good reasons, not including mutiny, to vaporize her, right now. Take out the entire hangar bay. Even if those people are hostages in there, which I doubt, it’s still the good of the many for the sacrifice of the few.”
“How stupid do you think Beth is, Mike?”
“Research has suggested that those who are found to be clinically insane can have much higher intelligent quotients than the average populace. They no longer let normal rationale and reasoning dictate their thoughts and actions and can thus sometimes achieve much greater results with difficult problem solving, relieved of conventional methods,” Dee said.
“Right now, Dee?” I asked. He very Human-like shrugged his massive shoulders.
“I would have thought that research would interest you, as I believe it applies to you as well.”
I flipped Dee the bird; he snorted in derision.
Paul continued as if he had not heard mine and Dee’s exchange, probably best someone stayed with the situation at hand. “She’s got people on the ground, so she claims. If she doesn’t check in with them at regular intervals they will broadcast the coordinates to anyone listening.”
“What the fuck happened to her?” I sat down hard on one of the empty console chairs. I was thinking back to that first day at college, I had been so tongue-tied when we’d met. She was stunningly beautiful, like a little piece of the sun had broken off and just followed her around. How could something so dark and twisted be hidden under that glowing light?
Paul wisely chose to ignore my digression into rhetoric. “I’ve already started the evacuation process at the Hill, and we’ve monitored communications that have come up. She knows that.”
“How long until those people are safe?”
“Safe? Probably never, now, but it’s going to take at least two hours to get everyone out of there. I got your son and family out first before I even gave the order to leave.”
This was one of those situations where good old Catholic guilt kicked in. I was immeasurably relieved that those I loved were safe from this latest threat, but I felt horrible that I was receiving preferential treatment above others. So much for “sacrificing the few.” Guess in the end it depends on which few.
“I know what you’re thinking, so just cut it out. You’re a colonel in the UEMC; I can’t have you distracted worrying about those you love while we have all this going on,” he said.
“Thank you,” was all I could muster. I was afraid if I said any more it might catch in my throat.
“You have ten minutes, my beloved.” Beth’s voice came over the speaker.
“Release the hostages and you will have immediate clearance to leave,” he responded.
“And why should I trust you?” she asked.
“Why should you hold those twenty with guns to their heads when you’re holding a spaceship cannon to three thousand in the Hill?”
“Fair enough. One more thing before I leave, though.”
“We’re not bartering, Beth. Just get the fuck off my ship.”
“I’m going to, but Michael is coming with me.”
It was a three-way tie between me, Paul, and Dee as we all said our own variation of “No fucking way!”
“Nine minutes…I’ll give you a second to think it over.”
“Destroy her,” Dee said. “We will position the Progerian ships in such a manner as to absorb any incoming rounds.”
I was on the verge of agreeing with Dee, but something was nagging me in the back of my skull. “That won’t work. I don’t think it’s a spaceship she’s after...she’s forcing our hand too hard. She’s got that place wired to blow.”
“Are you sure about that?” Paul asked incredulously.
“No, I’m not sure, but I think that’s a pretty safe bet. My guess is that the explosions that collapsed one of the tunnels had been a mistake; she’s been planning for contingencies a good long time.”
“I don’t know what’s going on in there, darlings, but we’re rounding the corner on eight minutes. From the bridge to here at a straight run is around five minutes…I do hope you’re on your way, Michael.”
I was wondering if this was some sort of karmic event. I had just felt self-reproach for my family being saved first; now it appeared I would have to sacrifice my safety, well, likely my life, for the well-being of those others not yet evacuated.
“I have to go,” I said.
“No, you do not.” Dee seemed pretty stalwart about this stance. “She has tried to kill you three times now, or have you forgotten the rocket launch less than fifteen minutes ago or maybe the Stryver in the arena?”
“I have not forgotten.”
“So you’re just going to walk into that hangar?”
I said nothing, what rational thing could I say?
“It is more likely that she will illuminate your body from the inside out with multiple ventilation holes.”
“It is bigger than that. Killing Michael will not stop her path of destruction, it will only cost us an asset,” Paul said. Then he spoke to Beth. “No.” Paul was speaking to Beth. “You cannot have my colonel. If you must give out the coordinates do it now; my stance is not going to change. And the second something happens to the Hill, I will send your soul back to that deep dark pit it was created from.”
There was a long silence; personally, I know I’d been holding my breath.
“If only you’d acted like this during our marriage, perhaps we would not be in the position we find ourselves in. Very well, keep your precious colonel. The hostages are heading for exit door twelve; we will be leaving in the next minute or so.”
We all watched as the shuttle left the ship.
“Target that ship, Captain,” Paul ordered his weapons officer.
“I have a lock, sir,” he said after a couple of seconds.
It was on the tip of Paul’s tongue, and that's where it stayed as we watched the shuttle fly off, even with magnification it was beginning to disappear.
“I’ll be in my quarters,” Paul said as he spun on his heel.
The weapons officer looked to me. I didn’t have the authority to make that call. I followed Paul after a moment and Dee was right on my heels. I knocked on his door.
“Enter.” He was standing at his small porthole looking in the general direction his wife had flown off into.
“Made a mistake with that one,” Paul said.
“You couldn’t have known she’d go that far over.” I tried for a semblance of comfort; mostly empty words. His wife was
gone and she’d threatened the lives of thousands of innocent people. She’d also aligned herself with arguably the most dangerous enemy the world had ever known, though a pretty good argument could be made that it was Paul and I that had done that.
“Oh, I think I could have. I just chose to ignore the warning signs…or in her case the gigantic neon flashing lights.”
“Listen, I realize there are some pretty colossal events going on right now for you personally, and the world in general. But I’m not sure if you thought this completely through.”
“And?” Paul turned away from the window to look at me.
“Beth found a way to organize sympathizers for her cause. I’m guessing she couldn’t have known it was going to go down like this, but she was preparing for something nonetheless.”
“Your point being, Mike?”
“She’s going to have her people everywhere. There’s going to be absolutely no way to tell who is loyal to what cause until they’re not.”
“This can’t be happening, we’re fighting Progs, Genos, mutes, Stryvers, and now each other? This is exactly the scenario the Stryvers would have chosen.”
I nodded.
“We truly are doomed then.” He moved to his bunk and sat down heavily I don’t think his shoulders were able to bear much more of the burden he was carrying.
“All is not lost, General,” Dee said. “We have a true and loyal ally in Commander Asuras and provided our technicians can find and dismantle any Stryver systems in this ship, we have a weapon that right now is unparalleled in space warfare. Never before have I seen something cut through Progerian steel with such ease. Your spouse won over her allies with fear, perhaps we can win them back with hope.”
I clapped Dee on the shoulder.
“I have two in custody I suspect might be in league with her. I’d like to go and talk to them,” I said.
“Talk?” Paul asked.
“Sure, something like that.”
“Permission granted.”
“You going to be alright?”
“I just need a minute; I’ll be fine.”
I couldn’t help but notice his gaze was locked on his .45 which was hanging sinisterly in its holster off the corner of the chair.
“Paul, General…”
“Yeah, I’m okay. Get back to me with whatever intel you get.”
Chapter 16
MIKE JOURNAL ENTRY 10
“You have his file?” I asked the guard standing outside the cell door.
“Just got it, sir.” He handed it over; I gave it a quick look. Seemed like a decent soldier, nothing out of the ordinary. Not like it had “Traitor Tendencies” stamped on the jacket.
“Corporal Dawes, how you doing?” I asked him. He was handcuffed to a heavy metal table. There was a moment of surprise when he saw me, but then more of alarm when he saw Dee come in behind me.
“Colonel, I don’t know what I’m doing here.”
“I see you were with my wife back in the battle for Los Angeles.”
“She’s the bravest officer I know sir…umm, I mean, you notwithstanding.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I sat down. “I already know she’s better at damn near everything military wise.”
Dee coughed.
“Okay fine, damn near almost everything life-wise. We good?” I looked to Dee.
He shrugged.
“We’re going to have to work on that.”
“Sir, I still don’t know why I’m here. Is it because of me holding the rifle on you in the hallway? I didn’t know if you were an insurgent.”
“No, I get that…hostile situation and all. I’m thinking my big green friend here might have given away who I was, but still understandable. No Corporal, I really have nothing but a hunch—a gut feeling I guess.”
“Sir?”
“Listen, there is a shit storm of events going on right now and I have very little time to play games with you. I’m pretty convinced you wanted to blast a hole in me and call it friendly fire.”
“No sir!” He tried to stand.
I let my head sag just a little. “Okay, Corporal Dawes, this is how it’s going to go. Your days in the war are over; I don’t think you can be trusted. So you can stay in this cell for the duration on a ration of bread and water, which by the fucking way is beyond horrible—you’ll end up slowly starving to death because of the lack of nutrients. I’m told it is one of the worst ways to go, that it only prolongs the inevitable, but you’ll be so starved you won’t be able to help yourself from scarfing the stuff down. Or you can stay in this cell for the remainder of the war and have normal rations and once the war is over and we are victorious, you’ll be granted amnesty. Your choice. The clock is ticking.”
“Do you truly believe we can win, Colonel?”
“What would be the point otherwise, Dawes? If I thought we were going to lose, I’d be getting shit-faced every minute of every day, running around naked.”
“How is the shedding of your clothes somehow significant to the end of a world?” Dee asked.
“It just is. Stop questioning my irrational actions. I’ve apparently just been pushed over the edge thinking we’re not going to survive.”
“Then that is understandable.” Dee seemed to really be thinking on this.
I turned my attention back to the corporal. “Names, Dawes. I’m going to need all of those that are involved.”
“Sir, there’s no names I could give you. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“His pulse has quickened, he’s perspiring, and there is a slight flush climbing up his neck,” Dee said.
“In case you don’t understand what my observant friend here is saying, it means you’re lying, Corporal. You know what?” I asked as I pushed back from the table and stood. I grabbed my sidearm from its holster and removed it. I clicked the safety into the off position and I pointed it at the Corporal’s head. “See, this would be a reason for you to sweat and have an increase in blood pressure. I get that Beth can be dangerous and persuasive and it really doesn’t hurt that she’s beautiful. But soldier, you need to understand something. I’m dangerous too, and I have a lot more at stake. I’m sick of this war and everything that threatens the safety of my family and friends and right now you are on the other side of that line. This is war, Corporal; I don't need a reason to shoot you beyond that I believe your acts to be treasonous. You know what the sentence for treason during a time of war is?”
He shook his head in negation.
“It’s death.”
He paled, the sweat on his forehead looked like it had crystallized and frozen.
“Last chance.” I pulled the hammer back.
“Wait!” he yelled out as I pulled the trigger.
“Shit, that was close.” I’d put a hole in the wall behind the man. Guards came running in. “Everything’s fine. I thought I was going to have to execute Corporal Dawes, but I don’t believe that’s the case anymore. Could you please get the man a pen and a piece of paper? Oh and Dawes, I want every name you know of, because those we pick up will start talking too.”
Dee and I walked out into the hallway.
“Michael, did you mean to shoot?”
“I did. I wasn’t going to kill him, but I needed him to believe I was beyond a doubt.”
By the end of the day, we had rounded up twenty-two men and women that were loyal to Beth. We radioed those at the Hill who were now basically refugees as they sought places to stay hidden. There was a larger contingency of traitors down there, fifty-four in total, though we’d only been able to pick up a little over thirty. The others, once they heard about the arrests, had taken off for parts unknown.
Paul was of the mind we should make a very public show of their execution. I disagreed wholeheartedly.
“There’s more of them out there Paul, guaranteed. And if they see you kill those people they’ll be even more convinced that what they are doing is right. We throw the ones we have in jail and we treat them fairly.”
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“I’m not so sure about your reasoning, Mike, but there’s no coming back from dead. We’ll play it that way, for now. I can always kill them later if it suits my needs.”
He said it so coldly it sent chills up my spine. Although I’d also meant what I said when I’d pulled my gun on Dawes. Right there and then I did want to kill that man for threatening all I had in this world. Paul and I weren’t so far off from each other.
Chapter 17
MIKE JOURNAL ENTRY 11
It had been a solid week and nothing untoward had happened. The Stryver’s hadn’t attacked, the Hill hadn’t blown, and the war on all fronts had come to a standstill. We’d been getting the word out to the entire planet that Progs, Genos, and Humans were now fighting on the same side. Among the populace, this was met with a very public outcry and deep condemnation. Some egghead kid actually got the idea to take a poll. Eighty-nine percent of the population was against our new position and I think the remaining eleven suffered from some sort of traumatic head injuries. I could not fault any one of the people that wanted the heads of their leaders for getting into bed with the enemy—figuratively, not fucking literally because well, that would be gross.
In that time frame, Dee and I had gone back to the Vicieus. Tracy was a constant source of entertainment for me. Her muscles were so stiff from the contractions she’d suffered from being tased, she walked around like she had a body cast on. She wanted to kill me, but she couldn’t move much faster than a couple of miles an hour, so I could easily outpace her. The Guardian was once again getting some much-needed repairs. The Prog technicians had quite literally dismantled every piece of equipment that the Stryvers had touched. There was some hardware that was most definitely of a sabotage variety; it had seemed almost overtly so like they weren’t bothering to hide it, that was when they began to look into the software. The ship’s entire system had been compromised. It had been so bad that everyone had been moved off the ship while the grid had been wiped clean and rebuilt. At any given minute, Paul could be found at a viewing port as his ship drifted in space like so much junk; a cold, lifeless hunk of metal.