Eugenic Reprisal (Halcyon Gate Book 2)

by J. M. Preiss

  “The moment I first laid eyes on her,” he said. “Do you love Jessica, Mason?”

  “Yes,” Mason responded. “Well, at least, I think I do. I hope I do.”

  “What has you thinking like this,” his dad asked as he sat on the couch and motioned for Mason to join him.

  “It’s just been on my mind all week, Dad.” Mason sat next to his father and sighed. “You found mom, and it was the mutual love that you both felt that brought the two of you together. Where does that leave Jessica and me?”

  “Well,” his father began before stopping again. He scratched the hollow of his right cheek in thought.

  “I supposed I can understand your apprehension,” he finally answered. “This marriage between you and Jessica is just the new shape of things. Even at that, it isn’t new in some parts of the world.”

  “It feels wrong,” Mason muttered.

  “Won’t argue with that,” his father sighed. “But this is how it is now. Marriage is very much a legal contract more than anything else. You didn’t have any say in it, but Jessica didn’t either.”

  Mason shook his head.

  “I know, Mason, but think of what all we are getting. Wealth is no longer a concern, but the Graves family is very well known. There is much prestige in joining that family.”

  “I guess,” Mason said in defeat. “I just don’t want to hurt her.”

  His dad stood up, looked at him, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “And that is why you won’t,” his dad said with a smile.

  “Smith!”

  Mason shook his head in shock, and he tried to gain focus on his surroundings.

  He was in a large room with subdued, grey walls. The floor was polished black. Around him in neat ranks were other people standing rigid, face and eyes unmoving.

  “Smith!”

  “What,” he replied.

  “What is not an acceptable response, recruit,” said a main that appeared in front of Mason, seemingly out of thin air. “Any response will either begin with sir, or it will simply be sir.”

  “Sir,” Mason responded.

  “Good,” the man said. He ran a skeletal looking left hand over his finely shaved scalp. It lingered for a moment over a shiny metal plate that was over his left ear. “Now, no more zoning out, ya hear?”

  “Sir. Yes, sir,” the assembled group responded.

  “Alright. Now, that’s the response I like to hear.” The man began pacing in front of the group. Every other step, his right foot would loudly impact the floor. The impacts echoed about the room.

  “Welcome to the Reactionary Forces, ladies and gentlemen. Each and every one of you has some idyllic view of how you are going to make a difference. I, on the other hand, have the view that you are only going to hurt the people standing around you if you continue to subscribe to such foolish notions.”

  The man stopped and glared at the person next to Mason.

  “Know the truth? We don’t need you! Leave now! The crying shame of it all is that we have to let you in.”

  He sighed and began pacing again.

  “This world is very different from the one not even a century past. For once, you are allowed to do whatever you wish. Hell, even underwater basket weaving is now viable.”

  He looked over the crowd.

  “Some of you will quit. There is nothing wrong with that, but some of you will be too stubborn to quit. The remainder of you will do what you deem to be your civic duty and muster out before you even begin thinking about having a mid-life crisis.”

  He looked right at Mason.

  “But those of you that are too stubborn to quit will make a difference. Some will get wrapped up in a very bad real estate deal, but all will never be forgotten.”

  Looking at his left hand, he opened and closed his fist a few times before continuing.

  “I’m up here to level with you. I shouldn’t be up here. I was one of the people that never should have enlisted, but I had no choice back then. What you see before you is no dog and pony show. This is the reality of the world. I was badly wounded in the field; put a down payment on some property. One of the stubborn ones, though, wasn’t going to let me quit. His stubbornness saved my life, but my ideals cost him his. My best friend, my brother, took the shot that was meant for me. He stepped in and gave me another chance by sacrificing his own.”

  Mason blinked back tears at the thought.

  “I made that decision that day to take his place. I became too stubborn to quit. I’ve added to my down payment, but I will never stop.”

  The man sighed and looked at the ground for a bit before looking back up, a renewed fire in his eyes.

  “People die. People get hurt. It is our job to step in front of harm and take the shot meant for an innocent. The world has come a long way in the last fifty years, but it is still a deadly place. Welcome to your new life, recruits. Welcome to making a difference. Fall out!”

  Heels clicked together, and salutes were given.

  “Ah, Mr. Smith, good,” a familiar voice said.

  “General,” Mason said as he shot up and saluted. His mind was fuzzy, but clarity quickly took over.

  “At ease,” the man said as he returned the salute. “It is a unique privilege I get when I see a person twice for similar reasons such as this. Five years ago, I wouldn’t have picked you for officer.”

  “Nor I, sir,” Mason said as he relaxed a little. “I must admit that your prosthetic choice was most enlightening. Part of me wanted to quit on the spot.”

  “But you didn’t,” the general said as he started walking down the corridor. He motioned for Mason to fall in step with him. “It takes a rare man to do that as far as I’m concerned. You’ve seen more than your share of action, Mr. Smith. Sydney was particularly hairy to my understanding.”

  “Yes, sir, but my squad did their job. The terrorists were thwarted,” Mason said.

  “Indeed they were, and you did it without your lieutenant, did his job even. That’s why you are here today. It’s obvious you’re ready for the next step. Want a platoon?” the general asked as he looked at Mason.

  “If I am deemed capable, sir.”

  “You have the raw aptitude,” he said. “These next few months will determine if that can be honed.”

  “It can, sir,” Mason said with confidence.

  “We’ll see in due time, Mr. Smith. Don’t let me down now that you have me believing in you.”

  “I’m too stubborn for that, sir.”

  “Dammit, Mason! Pay attention to me,” Jessica screamed.

  “What?” Mason shook his head.

  “It’s time!”

  “Time for what?” Mason blinked a few times.

  Jessica slapped Mason hard.

  “Snap out of it! Get the bag, and let’s go!”

  “I, uh, right,” Mason said. “The bag.”

  He fumbled around the apartment looking for the bag of clothes. The bag of clothes that had been kept ready for two weeks for when it was time for the baby to arrive.

  The baby.

  “The baby’s here?”

  “Not yet,” Jessica growled. “She will be if you sit around much longer though.”

  “Right,” Mason said as he picked up the bag. “Lead the way.”

  Jessica growled as she walked out the door. Mason jogged to catch up to her. He was treated to the same beautiful view he saw every morning.

  His apartment door faced east, so the entire walkway looked over the Atlantic. The skies were crystal clear, and the water was calm. The Sun glistened off of nearby buildings.

  Mason followed Jessica into one of the main lifts, and they were whisked away to the medical level of their hab complex.

  After about a minute of travel, they exited the lift onto the medical level. They were so far down that only artificial light cut through the darkness outside the windows.

  “Ah, Mrs. Smith,” a nurse said from behind the counter they walked up to. “It is a pleasure to see you agai
n.”

  “It’s time, Marcy,” Jessica said.

  “So it is,” Marcy exclaimed. She hit a few buttons and spoke into a microphone. “Chair to waiting three.”

  “Captain Smith,” a voice said from behind Mason.

  Mason spun around and prepared to salute.

  “Oh,” he said as he saw the young doctor standing behind him. “Nice to see you again, Doctor Evans.”

  “So today is the day, huh?” Doctor Evans asked.

  “Seems so,” Mason said as he looked around for the wheelchair that should have already been there.

  “Well, word of advice? Don’t get too stressed.”

  “Impossible, doc, but I’ll see what I can do,” Mason said as he leaned to try and look around corners.

  “Ha. Well, just remember that she is the one actually giving birth, and last I heard, she doesn’t take orders from you.”

  Mason sighed and nodded.

  “Good,” Doctor Evans said. “And remember, Captain Smith, it’s Adam,” Doctor Evans said as he clapped Mason on the shoulder and walked away.

  “Don’t forget about our appointment next Tuesday,” he called as he rounded a nearby corner.

  “Mason! What are you doing,” Jessica yelled from her wheelchair as she was wheeled towards the delivery ward.

  “Wha-. Coming,” Mason said as he trotted after her.

  He smiled as he thought about getting to meet his new baby girl.

  “Not much longer, Marlene,” he said as he caught up with his wife. “You doing okay?”

  “Shut up and fall in step, soldier,” Jessica growled. “Just be there and only speak if spoken to. This isn’t exactly a pleasant feeling.”

  Mason sighed and shook his head. Same old Jessica, he thought.

  “Captain Smith? Can you hear me, Captain,” a nasally voice asked.

  Mason’s mind was foggy. He groaned.

  “Doctor Evans,” the voice called. “He’s coming around.”

  Mason tried to move, but he was immobilized from the neck down. He couldn’t remember what had happened, and he certainly had no idea why he was here.

  “Where,” he started, but his mouth and throat were beyond parched. His voice was a mere croak.

  “Shh,” a familiar voice said. “You need to refrain from talking, Captain. You’ve been through a lot. Nurse, can you get Captain Smith some water? Ice chips only.”

  “Yes, Doctor,” the nasally voice said.

  Mason tried to open his eyes, but he was unable to feel them to make them work. He started to panic. The beeping of the heart monitor increased with his pulse.

  “Calm down, Captain. Everything is okay,” the familiar voice said. “You are okay. We have you immobilized for your safety.”

  The nurse returned to the room, and Mason heard her place a cup on something near him.

  “Open,” she said beside him.

  He opened his mouth and felt cold pieces of ice drop into his mouth. He worked his mouth and tongue as the ice melted. After a few more ice chips, he felt good enough to try talking.

  “Where,” Mason started, but he was cut off by his voice cracking. He cleared his throat to try again.

  “Where am I?” he managed after some effort.

  “You are on medical floor five, ICU ward three. We are in your hab complex,” the familiar voice said. “It was pretty harrowing for a while there, Captain. We were afraid we were going to lose you.”

  “I’m – I can’t remember anything,” Mason said. “I’m stuck in a fog. I can’t move or see.”

  “That’s our doing, Captain. I assure you, everything functions normally.”

  “What happened,” Mason asked.

  “That’s a long story, Captain Smith. We can save that for a little later. For now, let’s see about bringing your mind and body back up to speed,” the voice said.

  “Sounds good, uh –“

  “Doctor Evans.”

  “Doctor Evans,” Mason echoed. “It’s good to hear your voice, doc.”

  “It’s good to see you awake, Captain.”

  Mason grunted.

  “Okay, Captain,” Doctor Evans said. “We’re going to take the neural inhibitors offline. You’ll regain your senses, and your mind will clear up. We’re going to leave the immobilizer online for your safety. There will be some discomfort.

  Mason grunted again.

  “Okay, Nurse Ried, slowly take them offline.”

  Mason felt his mind clear. He breathed a sigh of relief, but he inhaled quickly when he was hit by the first wave of searing pain. His left side felt like it was on fire.

  “It’s okay, Captain. It will subside as your mind takes back over,” Doctor Evans said.

  After a few minutes of intense pain, it began to subside and become bearable.

  “Only some discomfort, doc? I don’t want to know what you consider actual pain,” Mason panted.

  “No, you don’t,” Adam responded. “Can you remember anything now?”

  Mason ran through his mind a few times. He vaguely recalled kissing Jessica and Marlene as he rushed out this morning. “I only remember this morning,” he said. “I can’t recall anything else.”

  Doctor Evans sighed heavily.

  “What you recall didn’t happen this morning. I don’t know how best to say this.”

  Mason heard the concern in his voice.

  “Just lay it on me, doc.”

  “It’s been two months, Captain,” Doctor Evans said.

  Two months.

  “What happened? Where is my girl? Where’s Jessica? Why isn’t she here?”

  “Shh,” Doctor Evans said. “They are both just fine. They’re in the apartment. When you started waking up, we notified them. They should be here soon.”

  “My eyes,” Mason said. “Let me open my eyes. I want to be able to see when they get here.”

  “Okay,” Doctor Evans said. “Just be sure to stay calm.”

  “Do it, doc. I’m tired of the dark,” Mason said.

  Mason felt an electric buzz rush through his body, and his vision came to life. The light filtered through his eyelids. He winced as he ran through lightly stretching his legs, feet, arms, and hands. Something was wrong. He didn’t feel his left arm or leg. He tried to move them, but there was nothing. Nothing.

  Mason snapped his eyes open and quickly looked to his left arm; at least, his arm should’ve been there.

  “No, Captain Smith, try and relax a little,” Mason heard Doctor Evans say over the rapid beeping of the heart monitor.

  “Where’s my arm? Where’s my leg? Where are they, doc?” Mason pleaded with ever growing concern.

  “You sustained heavy injuries on your mission,” Adam responded. “We were lucky to save you in time. The majority of your company wasn’t so lucky.”

  “I don’t understand,” Mason whispered.

  “I know,” Doctor Evans started to say.

  “Mason,” Jessica screamed as she rushed into the room. “Oh my God. You’re awake. You’re okay,” she said as she knelt by his side. Marlene ran up beside her and threw herself on the bed.

  “Daddy,” she screamed.

  Mason couldn’t help but smile.

  “I’m alright, baby girl,” he said. “Daddy is okay.”

  “I’ll give you some privacy,” Doctor Evans said. “Don’t worry though, Captain. We got the cores for your cybernetic prosthetics installed while you were in a coma. We can begin physical therapy as soon as you want,” he said.

  “Thank you, Adam,” Jessica said with tears in her eyes.

  Doctor Evans smiled and walked out of the room.

  “We missed you, daddy,” Marlene said.

  “I know, little one,” Mason said. “I’m here now. It’s all going to be okay.”

  “Mason,” Jessica began.

  “Mason, thank God you’re okay,” an old voice said at the doorway.

  “Mr. Graves,” Mason said. “It’s good to hear your voice.”

  “And yours, my boy
,” Mr. Graves said. “I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

  “Do we have to do this now, father?” Jessica asked. “He just woke up, and anyways, you know that I don’t agree with it one bit.”

  “What’s going on, Mommy,” Marlene asked.

  “It’s okay, baby,” Jessica said. “It’s just grown up talk.”

  “What’s the bad news, Mr. Graves?” Mason asked cautiously.

  Mr. Graves pulled a large envelope out from an inner pocket.

  “Mason,” Mr. Graves started,” I’m afraid that the injuries you sustained include one that constitutes breach of contract. I’m sorry, my boy, but your marriage to my daughter is officially terminated,” Mr. Graves said as he laid the envelope in front of Mason, turned around, then walked out the door.

  “Is this,” Mason asked as his eyes filled with tears.

  “It is,” Jessica said as she choked back a sob. “I don’t want to do it, but my father isn’t budging on the matter. We don’t have a choice.”

  “What did Granpa Graves mean,” Marlene asked with a puzzled look on her face.

  Jessica sobbed as she hugged Marlene and Mason close.

  “It means mommy and daddy can’t be together anymore,” she managed to say.

  Mason couldn’t find any words. He simply cried and held the loves of his life, his whole world that was shattering before his eyes, with his right arm.

  The world wasn’t fair.

  Mason felt confusion. It felt like he was speeding through his life, and none of it made sense. The feeling of loss from his divorce cut through him.

  It made the retirement unbearable. He could still be active duty, but the powers that be, his mentor and friend General Franks especially, had forced him onto reserve duty during his physical therapy and recovery.

  After the months on reserve duty, General Franks convinced Mason to retire.

  “You’ve earned it,” he had said. “Take time for yourself, as much as you need.”

  “Time,” Mason muttered as he splashed water on his face. “This retirement is going to kill me.”

  He finished shaving and wiped his face off after washing it. Unceremoniously stuffing the hand towel between the towel bar and wall, he stood up straight and looked at his chest. There was a jagged scar starting just left of his left pectoral. He felt along it with his right hand, slowly tracing each branch and ridge.