“You know what I think, General? We’ve been playing defense for over a year now, and we’ve become complacent. The Juttari and the Kemmar? Not so much. They’ve been busy, and they caught us with our pants down. It’s time to go on the offensive, and we’re going to start right here, in Telepylos.”
Jon pointed to the holomap which displayed the barren system. “And I’ll tell you something else. We’re going through that jump gate, and we’re going to invade the Kemmar Empire.”
“But Admiral, the Kemmar have the jump system, and they’re allied with the Juttari,” Dathos pleaded.
“Yes they are. And I’m sure they feel pretty good about themselves right now. Well I’m about to burst their bubble. You know all those shiny new ships the colonies have been building? I’m going to put them to use. We are going after the Kemmar.”
Chapter 7
Seiben stood in line on the New Byzantium space station, waiting for his family’s daily food rations. He had lined up early to get a good spot, but still had to wait for hours. He could tell that the influx of refugees had overwhelmed the station. It was tough for everyone. But things seemed particularly unorganized today, and it started to grate on his nerves.
“How hard can it be to disperse food rations?” said Seiben to the man standing in front of him.
“I don’t know, but if they don’t hurry up I’m going to take my business elsewhere,” replied the man.
Seiben laughed, and slapped him on the back. “Isn’t it bad enough we have to eat the damn things? I mean, it’s nothing more than slop. Even a dog would turn up its nose at it.”
“Hey, I’ll take yours if you don’t like it,” said a man from behind.
“Oh I’ll eat the slop, don’t you worry about that,” said Seiben.
“Then shut the fuck up, and stop your whining.”
Seiben turned around to confront the rude person behind him. The man was much taller than Seiben, and looked very fit and muscular. He was clearly much younger, however, and Seiben decided to use his age as leverage.
“Just who do you think you’re talking to, boy?” said Seiben, jutting out his chin.
“Boy? I’ll break you in two, old man.”
“The only thing you need to break is your cherry, son.”
Laughter broke out in the line at the comment. The man reached out and grabbed Seiben’s shirt with the power of a vice. “You think you’re funny? Wait till I knock out your teeth, then you’ll really be funny.”
“Hey! What’s going on over here?” said a passing soldier. A menacing energy weapon hung from his shoulder, lending quiet authority to his uniform.
“This man is accosting me,” said Seiben. “All I want to do is feed my family.”
The soldier stepped up to the man, who withdrew his arm from Seiben’s shirt. “A troublemaker, huh?” said the soldier, now standing nose to nose with the young man. “Do you want to spend some time in the brig?”
The man sheepishly took a step back, losing much of his earlier bravado. “No, Sir, I don’t”
“Leave this man be. You understand?” snapped the soldier.
“I understand.”
“Thank you, Sir,” said Seiben to the soldier, who nodded and slowly walked away.
“You’re going to pay for that,” the man whispered.
“Son, you’re too angry. Go get laid for a change. It’ll do you wonders.”
The man’s face turned red, but he said nothing. Seiben understood the man’s hostility, but he didn’t agree with it. Everyone here had suffered. They’d all lost their homes. Some had lost loved ones. They were all miserable. Why not make the best of things? Laughter was good medicine, after all.
Seiben turned back to the man in front of him. “As I was saying, if they can figure out how to put all those nutrients in the damn things, you would think they could figure out how to make them taste good.”
“You’re preaching to the choir.”
“What I’d give for some fresh New Byzantium seafood right now,” said Seiben, thinking of his barbecue and his home. All gone. Nothing but radioactive dust in their place.
“Amen to that.”
It felt like hours before the military began handing out the day’s rations. When Seiben finally received his allotment he headed back to his section on the space station, where Darla and his girls were waiting for him.
Four refugee sections had been hastily created to deal with the influx after the attack. The station was large enough to accommodate the extra people, but compared to a place like DLC Station, it was a mere dwarf.
Walking down the long corridors Seiben thought about all the years they had lived on DLC, and how Darla had pushed him to move to New Byzantium.
“I never thought I’d end up living on a space station again,” Seiben said to himself.
“You talk to yourself, too? Your crazier than you look, old man.”
The voice stopped Seiben in his tracks. He recognized it instantly, and became painfully aware of the fact that there was nobody else in this particular corridor. He turned around to face the angry young man from the lineup.
“You following me now? You must really have a crush on me. Sorry, son, I prefer women.”
“You think you’re real funny, don’t you?” said the man, his face turning bright red.
“Look, just relax. There’s no reason to get so upset. You’re going to get yourself sick.”
“You want me to relax? Ok, give me your rations and I’ll relax.”
Now Seiben’s own blood began to boil. “That’s not going to happen. These rations are for my family.”
“Give me the rations, and you can walk away.”
“You talk too much. If you want these rations, you’re going to have to take them from me.”
The man smiled for the first time. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Seiben looked around, still no one. How can there be so many people on this station, and nobody in this corridor? He saw the man’s knees bend slightly, and braced himself for the inevitable attack.
A blur of movement followed.
The man was quick. Too quick. Seiben didn’t even see the blow. Just felt it. Hard and heavy.
The lights went out before he hit the floor.
Chapter 8
When Seiben woke up he was lying on a cot in sick bay. His head felt like it weighed fifty pounds, and he couldn’t open his left eye. A hand lay on his. His wife’s hand. He looked up to see Darla sitting beside him.
“What happened?” he said, raising a hand to his head. He touched it gingerly and noticed that there was a fair amount of swelling.
“You were mugged,” said Darla, her eyes starting to water. “A soldier discovered a man stealing your rations as you lay unconscious on the floor.”
Seiben remembered the encounter with the angry young man. “He was pretty damn fast. I’ll give him that. Hit hard too. Wait, the rations. Did you get them back?”
Darla smiled. “Yes, we did. No need to worry. The girls and I have eaten.”
Seiben exhaled with relief. He could take a beating, but he didn’t think he could bear his wife and daughters going hungry. “What happened to the man?”
“The one who attacked you? He was arrested. They have him behind bars.”
“The dumb shit. Serves him right.” Seiben looked around. “Where are the girls?”
“They’re fine. The station has setup a little playground for the kids. It’s supervised, so I left the girls there. No need for them to see you like this.”
“You’re right. Good idea, dear,” he said, patting his wife’s hand affectionately.
“Roderick, there’s something else we need to talk about,” she said earnestly.
“Oh? What’s that?” Seiben felt a pang of fear, wondering what else had gone wrong.
Darla smiled, as if noticing his unease. “A message arrived today from Admiral Pike. He wants us to come to Earth.”
“Earth?”
“Yes. He has made
all the arrangements. Transportation. A place to stay. He says we can stay as long as we like. We can even settle there if we choose.”
Seiben struggled to process what he had heard. “Do you want to settle on Earth?”
“I don’t know, but anything is better than this station.”
“And I know how much you hate space stations,” said Seiben with a chuckle.
Darla’s smile broadened, and she squeezed Seiben’s hand. “Can you imagine? Actually stepping foot on mythical Earth?”
“I’m more interested in the seafood.” His stomach growled and he realized that he’d not eaten yet.
“It’ll be good to see Jon again, too.”
“Like I said, I’m more interested in the seafood.”
“Stop that,” said Darla, punching him in the arm.
“Ouch! Careful. Can’t you see I’m injured?”
“So what do you think? Are we going to go to Earth?”
“I guess we might as well. When do we leave?”
Darla practically jumped out of her seat with excitement. “We can leave right away. There’s a military ship leaving for Earth later today. We can leave with them. Jon has given us permission to travel on any military vessel heading to Earth.”
“Today? But I’m injured.”
“Don’t be such a big baby. The doctor gave you a round of biobots. You’ve already begun to heal.”
“But don’t I need to stay in bed or something?”
“The doctor said you can travel. She just wants you to take it easy for the next couple of days. Besides, we’re going on a jump ship. The trip won’t take long at all. We’ve lost everything, so we don’t need to pack.”
“It looks like you’ve got it all figured out.”
“I knew you’d agree. I’ll get the girls and then we can go.”
“Ok, dear. Don’t worry about me. I’ll just wait here.”
Chapter 9
“Daddy, what’s Earth like?” said Alina, Seiben’s youngest daughter, looking up at him with big inquisitive brown eyes.
“I don’t know, sweetie. I’ve never been there,” said Seiben, trying to block out the stabbing pain in his head. While the doctor had given him something for the pain, he knew what he felt was the microscopic biobots healing his head injuries. The little buggers worked fast, but they didn’t care how much pain they caused in the process.
They turned a corner and approached a check point. A soldier stepped up to them with a palm out telling them to stop. “You’re all going to have to turn around and head back the way you came. This is a restricted area.”
“It’s alright. We’re supposed to board the ship back there,” said Seiben, pointing behind the soldier toward the dock.
“Someone gave you some bad information, Sir. That’s a military ship back there, not a passenger liner. It doesn’t take civilians.”
With his head throbbing, Seiben was not in the mood for a power trip. “What’s your name?”
The soldier squared his soldiers and drew in a deep breath. “Corporal Cameron. Now turn around.”
“Good to know who I should blame for missing this flight when I talk to the Admiral.”
Doubt replaced confidence as the man started to lose some of his bluster. “Which Admiral?”
“Admiral Pike. Who else?” said Seiben, raising his voice, and taking full advantage of the soldier’s ignorance.
“Admiral Pike? I… I don’t understand.”
“No, you don’t. So why don’t you get someone who does?”
“Is there a problem here?” said another soldier, stepping up beside Corporal Cameron.
“Yes there is, Lieutenant,” said Seiben, noticing the man’s rank. “Admiral Pike has given us permission to travel to Earth, but Corporal Cameron here does not want to let us board.
“Is that true, Corporal?”
“No, Sir. I mean, I haven’t verified their claim,” said Cameron, clearly flustered.
“How can you verify our claim when you are so busy trying to kick us out? If you weren’t on such a power trip you’d ask for our names, and check the flight manifest to see if we’re allowed on board,” Seiben said indignantly.
The Lieutenant frowned. “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, Sir. What is your name?”
“Seiben.”
“Give me a moment, Sir.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.”
The Lieutenant turned away to speak with someone through his comm. Seiben stood smiling at the Corporal, who seemed unnerved by the encounter.
The Lieutenant returned, shooting a hostile glance at the Corporal, then smiling at the Seibens. “I apologize for this, Mr. Seiben. I’ll escort you and your family on board personally.” The Lieutenant stretched out an arm toward the dock. “Right this way, Sir.”
“Thank you,” said Seiben, gesturing for his wife and daughters to follow. He looked at the Corporal, who avoided his gaze. “Son, you’re screwed.”
The group passed through the dock into the warship. Seiben looked around and whistled. “Now this is a ship. She’s one of the new ones, isn’t she?”
“Yes, Sir. She’s a destroyer. Only been in service a few months.”
“I can tell. Everything looks state of the art.”
“Do you know something about starships, Sir?”
“I used to captain freighters. Did long hauls for years. Of course we didn’t have a jump system then.”
“No, Sir. We’ve come a long way in a short time. May I ask how you know the Admiral?”
“Sure,” said Seiben, a wide smile spreading across his face. “I saved his ass.”
“Roderick!” chastised Darla, striking his shoulder.
“What? I did.”
The Lieutenant looked perplexed, not sure whether to believe Seiben or not.
“I was on one of my long haul runs when I came across his escape pod,” Seiben continued. “It was just floating out there in space. To be honest, I almost didn’t pick it up. I thought it was space garbage. Can you imagine if I left it there? None of this would’ve happened.” He shook his head. “Anyway, I retrieved the escape pod, rescuing Jon Pike.”
“Don’t forget Breeah and Anki,” said Darla.
“Yes of course. Jon’s partner Breeah was also on board with her daughter Anki.”
“I’ve never heard this story before,” said the Lieutenant. “It’s incredible.”
“Ha! You don’t know the half of it. Jon Pike has almost gotten me killed at least a dozen times since then.”
“Don’t exaggerate, Roderick,” said Darla.
“Who’s exaggerating? I led a quiet, peaceful life before that moment, Lieutenant. I don’t know how many times a gun’s been pointed at me since then. I’ve even been shot.”
“That was your own fault,” said Darla reproachfully.
“My fault, huh?”
“Sure. If you hadn’t tried to play the hero, you wouldn’t have been shot.”
“Really? If I hadn’t been with Jon in the first place, nobody would’ve been shooting at me.” Seiben turned back to the Lieutenant who had an astonished look on his face. He smiled and patted the man on the shoulder. “It’s ok. I find it hard to believe too sometimes. Say, is there any way I can get some food? I’m starving.”
“Of course, Mr. Seiben. I’ll have some rations brought to your quarters immediately.”
“Rations huh? It’s not that same slop they gave us on the station is it?”
“They’re standard military rations, Sir.”
Seiben rolled his eyes. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”
When they arrived at their designated quarters, the door slid open and the Lieutenant led them in. The spartan living space included two beds and a desk with a computer display. Another door led to a small bathroom which consisted of a toilet and sink.
“These will be your quarters until we arrive at Earth,” said the Lieutenant.
“Well, at least it’s an improvement from the station,” said Seiben
. “How long until we reach Earth?”
“The trip itself won’t take very long. We will jump to the Amboss System and then cross through the gate to the Sol System, where we’ll enter orbit around Earth. Once in orbit a shuttle will take you down to the surface. Most of the wait will be for us to finish loading supplies and personnel here.”
“So what, a few hours?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I’m surprised you assigned us quarters.”
“With all due respect, Sir, they’re really just to keep you out of the way. This is still a military ship, and you are civilians.”
“Of course, Lieutenant. I understand.”
“If there’s nothing else, I have other duties to attend to.”
“Thank you for everything, Lieutenant,” said Darla.
“My pleasure, Mrs. Seiben.” The Lieutenant turned and started toward the door.
“Don’t forget the food,” Seiben called after him.
“I’ll order some sent to you asap.”
“Thanks, Lieutenant.”
“You’re welcome, Sir.” The door closed behind the Lieutenant.
“What do we do now, daddy?” said Alina.
“We wait, Sweetie.”
“It’s going to be boring.”
“You know what’s exciting?”
“What?”
“You’re going to see Anki soon.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“We haven’t seen her in so long.”
“I know, but you will soon. Now why don’t you and your sister play a game to pass the time?”
“There’s no games here.”
“What game would you like to play?” said a female voice from a speaker in the room.
“AI? Is that you?” said Seiben.
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Seiben. Yes, it is me.”
“I can’t believe it. It’s so good to hear your voice.”
“Thank you, Mr. Seiben. It is good to hear your voice as well.”
“Are you this ship’s AI?”
“Yes. I am the AI for many of the UHSF ships.”
The Pike Chronicles - Books 1 - 10 Page 118