The Coming Storm_A Pax Aeterna Novel

by Trevor Wyatt

  Chapter 10

  Cassius

  The feeling of grogginess and the soreness in his muscles alerted Cassius that he’d fallen asleep against the hull of his ship. He groaned lowly, rubbing his forehead and looking around the room. The time on his tablet said he’d only been asleep for about five minutes.

  With unstable legs, he stood to his feet and attempted to regain his bearings.

  Cassius staggered forward, just taking it one step at a time as he made his way back to the cockpit. He felt the start of a headache, most likely due to the brevity of his impromptu nap.

  He returned drowsily down on the captain’s seat and regained control of the ship from the autopilot. Franky was gone from the seat beside him.

  Where is he?

  Cassius heard footsteps behind him that he assumed were Franky’s. He turned his head back to see the form of him, now more haggard in appearance than he had been.

  “Franky, are you feeling any worse than before?” Cassius asked. Franky had now moved to stand beside him.

  “We need to go back,” Franky replied in a monotone. His eyes were completely red, voice scratchy due to the sheer amount of tearing his vocal cords had experienced over the past several weeks.

  “We need to go back now!”

  “Franky, we can’t. We’d be shot down, you know that,” Cassius said, putting a hand on his son’s shoulder.

  Franky promptly smacked the hand away, his face turning from a blank expression to one twisted with anger.

  “We left her! We have to go back and get mom!”

  “Franky…your mom died. Remember? We can’t go back for her,” Cassius said, the words nearly hanging in his throat. “Craig shot her. You saw it happen.”

  “No! We abandoned her! We have to go back!” Franky said. The muscles in his neck tensed, and his face grew a dark shade of red. “She’s waiting for us, and we let her down!”

  Franky lunged forward, attempting to wrestle the controls away from his father. Cassius let out a yell, fighting his son away with his shoulder. The two struggled for control of the ship, Cassius having the advantage of being strapped into his chair while the ship bobbed and weaved about.

  Franky couldn’t maintain his stability. He fell to the cold steel floor with a loud thud.

  Behind him, Sienna and Peyton stood from their seats, heads tilted in curiosity. Franky looked back at the pair, then back to his father. After standing to his feet, Franky took one slow step backwards.

  “Franky, what are you doing?” Cassius asked, concerned for the girls’ safety. He’d witnessed firsthand what this disease did to the mind. Even the gentlest of people were susceptible to raving lunacy when the fever finally reached the end.

  “Franky, stay where you are,” he warned his son.

  “Gotta go back...gotta make room...not enough room for mom,” he muttered. Before Cassius could reach him, Franky darted back, grabbing Peyton with an arm around her neck. “There’s not enough room for mom!”

  Peyton tried to scream, but Franky covered her mouth with his hand. Her muffled cries for help barely passed the taller boy’s hand and her thrashing was easily overpowered by him.

  Slowly, he began moving toward the back, to the airlock.

  Cassius didn’t think. Instead, he acted purely on instinct. He tackled Franky, trying to wrestle Peyton away from him.

  “Let her go, Franky!” he yelled, his hand trying to pry the arm from around Peyton’s neck. Fingernails clawed at Franky’s arm, trying to gain a hold around it without hurting Peyton herself.

  “Let go, dad! We have to throw her out! We need room for mom!” Franky screamed, inching further and further back toward the airlock as they fought. He seemed much stronger than he had over the last few weeks, at least as far as Cassius knew.

  Perhaps the adrenaline, the anger, all of it amplified his physical abilities to the point where even if he was in pain, he still had the energy to move forward.

  The three of them staggered backwards. Franky released his grip from Peyton’s mouth and opened the airlock door. Cassius was clawing at his arm, trying to force him to release Peyton.

  Franky wrestled with his father and Peyton, trying to shove the two of them into the airlock. In a fit of desperation, Peyton sunk her teeth into Franky’s arm. He yelled out in pain, releasing her immediately.

  Cassius took advantage of this narrow window of opportunity to lunge forward, shoving Franky to the ground. Franky came skidding to a halt inside the airlock, and Cassius sealed the door behind him. From the other side of the door, he could hear Franky screaming.

  “No! Let me out! Gotta get mom! Gotta get mom! Please, let me out!”

  His fists slammed against the door, but the reinforced steel wouldn’t budge. Cassius quickly dialed his PIN into the keypad beside him and locked the door.

  “Mom needs us! She needs us!” Franky continued to scream on top of his lungs.

  He began thrashing about, kicking and punching anything within reach.

  “If you won’t go, I’m going alone! I’m gonna get mom myself!” he yelled.

  Franky punched the Emergency Release button near the opposite door, and was immediately sucked into the vacuum of space.

  Cassius watched through the porthole as Franky flipped backwards several times, his arms going over his throat. Bubbles formed in his mouth as the saliva on his tongue boiled from exposure to space.

  After a few more seconds of violent thrashing, he grew still.

  Eventually, his body became nothing more than a small dot, indistinguishable from the backdrop of the cosmos.

  The emergency door closed shortly after sucking Franky out and Cassius’ breathing slowed. Beside him, Peyton sobbed inconsolably. Her entire body shook, eyes stained red from crying.

  No, no, no—that single word echoed inside Cassius’s skull like a curse, repeating itself over and over again. His world was collapsing under his gaze, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

  Cassius gently pulled Peyton close, standing to walk to where Sienna stood.

  “Sienna, can you go to the cargo hold and get some water for her? Make sure she drinks it,” he said, almost robotic in his actions.

  Sienna didn’t respond. She took Peyton from him and Cassius walked past them back to the cockpit. He claimed his seat once more and took control of the ship.

  This was the final straw. Cassius emotionally shut down, unable to deal with anything anymore.

  First his people, then his wife, now his son was dead too?

  If the Lange Corporation was indeed behind this, then it all went even deeper than he initially suspected.

  And the worst part was the government of Centralia was helping them cover it all up.

  Bile welled up in Cassius’ throat as he thought of the rampant corruption. People were dying because of the actions of a corporation that cared more about profits than human life, and the government was turning a blind eye.

  The government was aiding in the slow, painful slaughter of thousands of innocent people. It was disgusting.

  Cassius’ path was clear before him. His first priority would be getting these two girls to safety. He couldn’t allow them to fall victim to this horrible scheme as well. Even if the rest of their home world didn’t have a bright future, he’d make sure the girls did.

  His second order of business was revenge. The Lange Corporation took everything away from him. And he wanted to make them suffer for what they’d done.

  Cassius didn’t have a clear idea how, but someday, he would cripple them and expose them for the monsters they were.

  And last, but certainly not least, Cassius resolved to bring down the sorry and oppressive state the government was currently in. If they could be so easily bought by large corporations, what good were they?

  They didn’t deserve the power they held if they’d be simple puppets for the highest bidder. They needed to go, and needed to go quickly.

  He would cut the strings, burn the puppets, and put an
end to this cycle of greed and corruption once and for all.

  For his people, for Lyla, for Franky, for Craig.

  If the Lange Corporation and the government thought they could get away with this, Cassius was going to prove them dead wrong.

  Nothing was going to stand in his way.

  Chapter 11

  Cassius

  The girls had cried themselves to sleep in the transport’s quarters. Cassius was all alone at the helm. It was too quiet, and he was forced to deal with the trauma of watching Franky turn into someone else and then die so horribly.

  It was all too much.

  For the first time, Cassius allowed himself to cry.

  Don’t call me Franky!

  The memory made him smile through the tears. Franky had been demanding that since he was ten. Cassius and Lyla never listened, only because they thought the squabble over his name was adorable.

  Sensors flashed, warning him that the fuel was almost gone and the airlock had been damaged.

  Cassius considered just ramming the next asteroid he encountered. It would be easier for all of them if he just ended their misery right then. Why go on?

  But the memory of Sienna’s tear-filled eyes changed his mind. He couldn’t betray her, or Peyton, like that.

  His next thought was to hand them over to his brother before killing himself. It was dismissed as soon as it crossed his mind, but still hovered in the back of his consciousness.

  “Daddy?” Sienna sniffed behind him, making him forget all his dark thoughts.

  “Come here, sweetie.”

  He pulled her into his lap and hugged her tight, keeping his shoulder up so she couldn’t see the fuel sensor. She had enough to worry about. Sadness threatened to take over again as he rocked his daughter back to sleep.

  He felt a sense of peace amidst everything, having his daughter with him.

  I can’t break down now, he thought. I have to protect Sienna.

  Grief compressed into anger as Cassius reached Centralian territory. They were hailed as they approached the planet. Sienna poked her head up with sleepy eyes, and Cassius slid her off his lap.

  A stern woman in uniform scowled through the viewscreen.

  “This is planetside and occupied space defense. You are ordered out of Centralian territory. Turn that ship around now.” A stern woman in uniform scowled through the viewscreen.

  “Personal transport Outer, BAK870FF. Request clearance for entry,” Cassius kept his voice calm, but inside, he was raging.

  “Negative BAK870FF, all ships from your sector are under quarantine order. Return to Elban.”

  Fucking perfect, Cassius thought.

  Lange already sent word. No doubt they blamed him or some other innocent bastard. When the money rolled in, mouths clamped shut. He felt foolish for thinking he could change anything.

  “I’m a Human Confederation Governor with two little girls and a son that needs medical attention. I need that clearance,” Cassius spat.

  “Negative. Set coordinates for Elban—or we’ll fire.”

  “You want to kill children?”

  He hoisted Sienna into his lap.

  “Wave at the mean lady,” he whispered in her ear.

  Sienna obliged, her eyes wide and haunted.

  “I’m broadcasting and the entire Human Confederation will know that you are responsible for the deaths of a Governor and innocent children.”

  “Your little transport doesn’t have broadcast capabilities, Governor. And there are only three life signs on board.” She flashed a sardonic smile. “Nice try.”

  He had only one more trick up his sleeve, and he had hoped that the officer was stupid. It was time to put his poker skills to use.

  “Look, I got two kids, no fuel, and nothing to lose. Grant the clearance or I’ll hammer this little transport right up your ass. Think you can stop me? Watch.”

  Increasing speed, he headed straight for Centralia’s orbit.

  “Sienna, go wake Peyton up and you two buckle down tight,” he said in the most serene tone he could muster.

  With the wizened nod of a girl who just aged a decade, she ran off to their quarters. Cassius held his breath until the comm beeped. “Okay, daddy.”

  That’s my girl, he thought as he cranked up the speed as high as the sub light drive engines allowed.

  The outer defense grid fired its first torpedo before Cassius could make the orbit zone. Knowing their tactics, he evaded easily. Another surprised him from the rear, which he barely dodged by banking hard. Both missed torpedoes made wide turns to come at him again.

  They updated the turrets on the defense grid.

  Damn it, he thought. That pinch-faced bitch probably run the controls herself.

  Centralia had four torpedo turrets surrounding the planet, and it was nearly impossible to break through. Using the transport’s size to his advantage, he brought the Outer into a nosedive then pulled up. They whizzed past him on either side, and he set into a tailspin to keep them confused.

  Sensors flashed with a warning blare. The two turrets on the other side of the planet were en route to intercept. He only had a few minutes before the Outer was obliterated.

  In a move he would have never dared in his previous life, he spun and ran straight for the nearest turret.

  Clenching his jaw as it drew closer, Cassius’ hand twitched over the controls. He had to stop himself from automatically pulling away. He could see the hull number now.

  HC-Turret 01.

  He held his breath. He was in range of the rail guns. They opened fire.

  Shutting down his mind, he let his body and gut take over to wiggle through the maze of ballistics. One hit its mark, then another. The girls screamed as the ship shook, nearly spinning out of control. Cassius gained control and forced himself to ignore the tormented children.

  With only two meters of wiggle room, he banked right, speeding along the side of the hull. One torpedo hit the turret, then the other in cascading explosions. Another nosedive avoided the blast, and he aimed straight for Centralia’s atmosphere.

  A beep disturbed his focus. He was being hailed again.

  He flipped the viewscreen on. “What did I say? I’m coming down on your coordinates.”

  “BAK870FF, you are cleared for entry if you slow to atmospheric speed.”

  He did as he was asked.

  “Call,” he muttered under his breath. Clearance was less costly than the destruction he wreaked on the defense grid. He bet everything on it.

  “BAK870FF, do you understand that you and anyone else aboard must go directly to quarantine?”

  She sent him the coordinates.

  “Agreed.” He cut off the channel and went in.

  Government goons in hazmat suits that read HC Contagion Control escorted them from the Outer at gunpoint.

  Peyton and Sienna clung to Cassius in tears. He walked at a pace they could handle without letting go. One of the guards prodded him in the back, trying to speed them up. Instead of complying, he slowed his pace in a dare.

  It was ignored and the prodding ceased. They must not have wanted him dead yet. People like this usually wanted to see them suffer to monitor the progress of a disease. They would shove needles into their skin, cover them with electrodes, and take huge amounts of fluid samples.

  For a moment, Cassius wished he had slammed them into a random asteroid. The kids had already been through enough, and now he understood those stories where parents murdered their children to save them from a worse fate.

  The landing bay hatch sealed before the entrance to the building lifted open.

  They had been preparing for this for a long time. The building was built since his last trip for Congress, and it was smack in the middle of the industrial subdivision. It seemed to have been built just for the Crop Fever, or he was probably just paranoid. It was completely self-contained with vacuum doors every twenty feet, separate ventilation for each sector, and every person except the three newcomers wore hazmat suits.
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  Four doors with only empty space in between opened and closed automatically behind them before the two goons in front stopped. One slid a keycard and punched in the corresponding number code. Still, they had to wait until two more goons opened the door.

  Peyton and Sienna went from quiet tears to open wailing as they were gently pushed into the new hallway.

  “Shhh, it’s okay.”

  Cassius took each of their hands and squeezed them tight.

  He didn’t blame them. Sterile doors lined both sides and dim lighting cast ominous shadows. It smelled of disinfectant and decay. They were surrounded by faceless monsters who wanted to lock them up.

  “Daddy?” Sienna whispered.

  “Yes, sweetie?”

  “Franky didn’t break the jewelry box. I dropped it.”

  It sounded too much like a deathbed confession.

  “It’s okay, Sienna. Nanny would understand,” Cassius replied.

  Tears streamed down his face. Sienna nodded with a sniffle.

  “Stop here,” a goon demanded. “Girl one, there. Girl two, there. The governor…right there,” he pointed to three rooms on the left.

  The girls were yanked away and dragged toward their rooms, screaming for Cassius.

  Cassius struggled against the two that held him with all his might. Knowing he would rather die than see them separated, the two remaining goons trained their guns on the girls.

  Cassius went dead still. He gave the girls a look that said they should do the same. They stopped struggling as they spied the weapons. He allowed them to drag him to his room without further contest.

  Before they could close the door, he heard Sienna’s voice.

  “Someday, my dad will fight you.”

  The quiet determination in her voice told him that she meant it.

  Cassius meant it too.

  Chapter 12

  Ketra

  The elevator rose slowly as Ketra tapped her stylus along her tablet device. The past few weeks had been rough for the young journalist; every story she’d pursued had only led to dead ends and false information.