by Gus Flory
“I’ve got a lot on my mind now, son.”
“It will answer your questions about Robodan.”
“Don’t listen to him, sir,” Mangal said.
“Specialist Rocha’s diary. It’s in my cargo pocket.”
Butcher watched Diego quietly.
“It will tell you what you want to know.”
“Check his pocket,” Butcher said to Mangal.
Mangal loosened his straps and leaned forward.
“No tricks, Zanger,” he said.
Mangal patted Diego’s legs, found the diary and removed it. He opened it and examined it.
Butcher took the diary from Mangal who let it go reluctantly.
“Sir,” the pilot said through the headset. “There’s something big rising out of Kraken Mare.”
“What is it?”
“We can’t tell, sir. It looks like some kind of spacecraft. The tower is tracking it. It’s not one of ours and it isn’t identifying itself. They have no idea what it is. They’re scrambling fighters from Cassini City now.”
“Take us in for a closer look.”
“Roger, sir.
The TH-60 changed heading away from Camp Hammersteel and toward the flat, dark surface of Kraken Mare.
Outside, dawn was arriving as Titan orbited out from Saturn’s shadow.
“Whatever that thing is, it’s huge,” the pilot said. “I’ll swing us around so you can get a better look.”
Their aerial vehicle zoomed over the coastline and out over Kraken Mare’s seemingly endless expanse. Saturn and its rings loomed large in the gray sky.
“Can you see it, sir?”
“Negative.”
“Your four o’clock. Rising up from the surface.”
“Bring us in closer.”
Diego strained to see out the window.
“What is it?” Butcher asked.
“It’s some kind of ship, but like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”
“What in the Sam Hill?” Butcher said.
Hovering over the liquid methane surface was an enormous triangular craft, black as obsidian, each side 350 meters from end to end, with two bright lights at each point of the triangle—a black colossus rising from the sea.
“Take us in closer.”
The TH-60 zoomed toward the large craft as it floated skyward through the morning haze. Liquid methane streamed off its sleek exterior in slow falling cascades to the sea below.
The TH-60 was an insect buzzing next to the black leviathan.
Alarms sounded inside the TH-60, which fell into a violent spin, plunging through the tholin air. The dark surface of Kraken Mare rushed upward in the windows toward them.
14. Game Changer
The pilot pulled hard on the stick. The TH-60 skimmed the surface of the sea nearly splashing down before regaining altitude.
The monstrous spacecraft above them quietly floated higher into the pink and orange sky. Drone fighters zoomed toward it but spun out of control.
The spacecraft floated higher and higher until it disappeared from sight.
“It’s gone, sir,” the pilot said.
“Get us to Hammersteel.”
“Roger that.”
Butcher turned to Diego. “What was it?”
“I don’t know, sir.”
“The gunships are still en route from Enceladus,” Butcher said. “If they had been in orbit, they would’ve destroyed it before it could escape the atmosphere.”
“You knew,” Mangal said. “You told us their ship was on Enceladus, but it was right here under our noses the whole time. You set us up, Zanger.”
“I knew nothing about that ship.”
“Silence,” Butcher said. “You’ll tell the interrogators what you know.”
Their aircraft circled over Camp Hammersteel and set down on the TOC landing pad.
The passenger bridge connected to the aircraft. Butcher, his assistant and Mangal exited. Three military policemen entered the aircraft and pulled Diego from the seat. They unfastened his ankles and hustled him down the bridge. They walked him through the narrow hallways of the TOC.
Soldiers rushed past them with a sense of urgency.
The MPs brought Diego to the Analysis and Control Element building, a secured area known as the ACE Cell. They rushed him down the hallways until they reached an area where the human intelligence collectors conducted interrogations.
The MPs opened a door to a small room centered by a metal chair and pushed Diego inside. They shut the door behind them.
Diego checked the door, but it was locked shut and solid. There were no windows. This room left no chance for escape.
He sat in the chair and waited. Hours passed. His mind turned to the giant ship he had seen rising from Kraken Mare.
He thought of Pristina. She lied to him about the ship on Enceladus so he would tell his command. She deceived him to protect the ship they had built on Titan. She had played him the fool.
But, when they were alone on Enceladus, he felt she wanted to surrender to him, to be his, that maybe she had wanted something different.
The door opened. Two MPs entered. One was carrying a chair. He set the chair down in front of Diego.
Butcher entered the cell. Diego stood.
“Sit down,” he said.
Diego sat. Butcher sat across from him. The MPs stood behind Butcher.
“Leave us,” Butcher said.
“Are you sure, sir?”
“Yes. And shut the door behind you.”
The MPs looked uncertain as they exited the cell.
“We’ll post outside the door, sir.”
They shut the door behind them.
Butcher sat for a long moment looking at Diego.
“That ship we saw. It destroyed the gunships. All three of them. It hit them with some kind of long-range energy cannon. It destroyed the troop transports, too. Then this ship… It vanished. Disappeared.”
“I should have examined the ship on Enceladus more closely. They used me to deceive you. I’m sorry, sir.”
“The ship. I’ve never seen anything like it. What was it?”
“Pristina Sage told me something while we were standing under the statue of Albert Einstein. She said Einstein was wrong. She said faster-than-light travel is possible. She spoke of Tesla and his ideas about energy. They built a faster-than-light ship under Kraken Mare. They used me to get us to pull the gunships out of orbit, so they could get their ship safely out of Titan’s atmosphere. When I was with them, I thought they were fools. But I was the fool all along.”
“Horace Fontaigne tells me you killed the Governor. Is it true?”
“I killed Moxley, too.”
Butcher pulled Spc. Rocha’s diary from his pocket. “Moxley…”
He looked at the unopened diary on his knee.
“I’ve been fighting this war a long time, Diego. On Earth. On Mars. In the Asteroid Belt. The Jovian moons. Now here on Titan. When they killed my wife and children, my heart grew cold. I wanted to kill as many Neo-Fascists as I could. I wanted to kill them all. When I killed them, I sometimes got a funny feeling… They didn’t seem like the Neo-Fascists we were told about, but just people, fighting for their homes and their families. In my experience on the ground, I found them to be courageous fighters, fighting for freedom, not tyranny… fighting to be free of us. But our leadership, our doctrine, our media always tried to convince me they were inhuman monsters. Genocidal monsters who commit atrocities. Murderers, rapists and terrorists. They told me Robodan was evil incarnate. When my wife and children were killed, I researched every aspect of the attack that took their lives and the lives of a hundred others. I mapped it out, studied the timeline, the weapons and tactics, the logistics. I was obsessive. I wanted clues that would lead me to Robodan, so I could kill him with my own hands. But I found inconsistencies with the official story. My study led me to the conclusion that the attack must have been conducted by an S.S.F. kill team, in collusion with the media and our own le
adership. It was the only logical explanation that fit the facts. But I couldn’t prove it. The conclusion was difficult to believe. No one would believe it. My mind rebelled against it. It was too painful to accept. I rejected my own judgement and accepted the official story. It was the only way to keep my sanity. It was easier to believe them and continue fighting... But over the years, I’ve often found that what I see on the ground doesn’t always align with official reports and what I see on the news.”
“Robodan isn’t real, sir. He’s fake. A creation of the SSIS. Someone for us to hate so we keep fighting.”
Butcher looked at the diary. He placed his hand over its cover.
“Cone told me the truth, sir. They use lies and terrorism to keep us fighting.”
“I’m sorry for what I did to you, Diego. I never should’ve put you in a position to compromise your marriage, your family. Our families are what matter most. Not the Federation or the Army or winning this stupid war. It’s why these colonists fight against us. For their families. Their freedom. The Federation knows this. They targeted my family to make me fight. To make me hate.”
“We need to get out of here, sir. The Noer ship will return.”
“I’m going to contact their ship. I’m going to tell them the Dragon Brigade is not their enemy. We’re going to join them and fight the Federation.”
“It might be too late for that, sir. They’re going to bombard Hammersteel.”
“No. Victoria Sage is in the cell next to yours. I’m going to offer her to them. But before I do, I need to determine who’s with me. Charlie’s with me. So’s Dave. Marv could go either way.”
“What’s the plan, sir?”
“I’m going to call a meeting of my staff. I’m going to tell them the truth about Robodan and this war. I’m going to draw a line in the sand, Alamo-style. We’ll see who’s with me and who’s against. Fontaigne and Helms are flying here with a team of SSIS special operators to retrieve you. I’m going to give the order to detain them. At this point, I don’t know who SSIS has infiltrated onto my staff and headquarters company. But I’m going to find out. It’s gonna be a showdown at the OK Corral, and I’m ready for it.”
“I’m with you, sir. I’ve got your back.”
“I need the element of surprise. Fontaigne and Helms are flying in with a full combat load. They’ll be here soon. If I have traitors on the staff I don’t want them to tip off Fontaigne before I have him and his team detained.”
“Roger, sir.”
“Once I’ve met with the staff, I’m going to send a message to the Noer ship to let them know we have Victoria. I’ll tell them you’re going to bring her to them if they call off their bombardment.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’ll come get you after the meeting. You’ll take Victoria to the flight hangar. A TH-60 will be waiting for you. Go to them and tell Pristina all I’ve told you.”
“Yes, sir.”
He handed Diego the diary. He pulled out his pistol, loaded a magazine and chambered a round. He stood, re-holstered, and extended his hand to Diego. Diego shook it. He felt Butcher pass him something in the palm of his hand.
It was Butcher’s Marine Corps coin.
Butcher placed his hand on Diego’s shoulder. “You’re a good soldier, Diego. A good man.” He turned and left the cell.
The MPs came in and retrieved his chair and shut the door behind them. Diego sat on his metal chair, waiting. He stood and paced the floor. He sat down again and watched the door, waiting.
An hour passed.
The door opened. Diego stood. The MPs entered.
“Sit down, sir.”
They pushed him back onto his chair and zip-tied his hands behind his back. They placed a chair across from him.
Mangal entered the cell. He sat across from Diego.
“Leave us,” Mangal said to the MPs who left the cell and closed the door behind them.
Mangal pulled his pistol out of its holster and pointed it at Diego. He patted him down, found the diary in Diego’s cargo pocket and removed it.
“What’s going on, Marv?”
“I’ll ask the questions.”
He sat in the chair with his pistol pointed at Diego. “Can’t have the troops giving this a read,” he said, and slid the diary into his cargo pocket.
“Where’s Butcher?”
“We found him in his bunk. After he spoke with you, he went to his hooch and blew his brains out.”
“No one’s going to believe that.”
“He left a note. He blamed himself for the disaster on Enceladus and the escape of Marko. He blamed you.”
“You’re a murderer and a liar.”
Mangal smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
“You knew all along, didn’t you, Marv? About Einstein Plaza. About Robodan.”
“You know, it’s always amazed me how stupid people are—how anyone could believe a cartoon caricature like Robodan was a real person. I knew right from the start. The SSIS has a policy for officers like me who are smart enough to figure out their game. They give us a choice. We can work with them... or we can die. I chose to work with them. Fortunately, those of us they recruit are richly rewarded. They give us money. Special privileges. Special rights. My next assignment is on Earth.”
“The Noer ship. It changes everything. It changes the balance of power. You’re on the wrong side of history. It’s over, Marvin.”
“It’s over for you, Diego. One ship can’t stop the Federation. Just so you know, their ship has disappeared. Gone. And Fontaigne just landed at Hammersteel. He’s on his way for you. He’s livid about Moxley and Cone. He’s going to torture you. And let me tell you, he’s sadistic, man.”
Diego stood from his chair. Mangal raised his pistol. He stood and shoved Diego back into his seat. He glared at him angrily, then pistol-whipped him across the face.
“That’s for my lip. And for Moxley.”
Mangal turned and opened the cell door.
He stepped out into the hallway. A pop-pop-pop of rifle fire erupted, cutting him down.
A soldier in tactical battle armor stepped over Mangal’s crumpled body. The armored soldier stepped through the doorway, scanning the room with his rifle.
He slung his rifle on his back and kneeled and cut the zip-ties from Diego’s wrists and ankles.
He lifted his visor.
“Chief,” Diego said.
“Butcher told me if he didn’t come out of his meeting to break you out of here. There’s a TH-60 waiting for us in the flight hangar. We’ve got to move fast. Fontaigne and his team are on ground.”
Chief pulled a large case off his back, set it on the floor and opened it. Inside was Diego’s K4 rifle and TBA-V5 battle suit.
“Get it on quick. I’ll fly us out of here before that ship blows this place.”
Diego donned the armor. “Where are the MPs?”
“I told them there’s an order for us to evacuate the camp. The Forward Command Post and Camp Lonely Mountain have been destroyed. This place is next.”
“The Forward Command Post and Camp Lonely Mountain were destroyed?”
“Roger.”
Diego clamped on his helmet.
They stepped over Mangal’s body and out into the hallway.
“Wait,” Diego said. “Victoria Sage.”
Chief walked over to the holding cell control panel and unlocked Cell 5.
Diego pushed open the door to the cell.
Victoria sat on a metal chair in the small room.
“Major Zanger.”
“We’re breaking you out of here, ma’am.”
He held out his armored hand to her. She took it and stood from her chair.
“We have to move fast, ma’am. Your ship is about to destroy this place.”
“The Wardenclyffe launched?” she asked.
“Let’s move.”
“Wait,” Victoria said. “Kona is in Cell 3.”
Chief unlocked Cell 3. Inside was a boy of 14 with tawny
hair and bleary hazel eyes.
“Oh, Kona,” Victoria said, and bent down and gave him a hug.
“No time to waste,” Chief said. “Let’s move.”
They stepped out of the ACE Cell and jogged down a corridor toward the flight hangar.
An alarm sounded. Soldiers were running through the corridors, some attempting to put on TBA-V5s and helmets as they ran.
Diego, Chief, Victoria and Kona ran in a pack against the tide as soldiers ran for the gates where vehicles were loading up and evacuating them.
“I can’t believe the day has finally come,” Victoria said as she ran holding Kona’s hand. “They actually did it.”
They jogged out onto the main concourse.
Up ahead, Fontaigne, Helms and a team of SSIS special operators rounded a corner. There were seven in total, wearing armor and armed with K4 rifles.
Diego, Chief, Victoria and Kona stopped in their tracks in the center of the concourse.
Fontaigne stopped and pointed. He and his men then ran toward Diego with rifles pointed forward, clamping their visors as they ran.
Diego and his group darted down a corridor between soldier habitations.
“They’ve got us cut off from the hangar,” Diego said.
“We’re going to have to shoot our way through,” Chief said.
Victoria stumbled. Diego grabbed her and dove into an alley between containerized housing units. Chief kneeled on the porch of a habitation and covered the corridor with his rifle. He fired well placed bursts sending their pursuers diving for cover.
Soldiers scattered from the corridor.
Diego took a position at the corner of a habitation and scanned the corridor for the special operators. Victoria and Kona huddled on the wall behind him.
“Are you two OK?” Diego asked.
“Yes, just a stumble,” Victoria said.
Diego fired off a shot at one of the operators who took cover behind the corner of a habitation.
“When is that ship going to hit Camp Hammersteel?” Diego asked.
“When the Wardenclyffe reached space, the plan was for it to destroy the gunships, then fire its Tesla Wave Engine and accelerate to faster-than-light speed. It’s supposed to destroy the Jenner, circle Jupiter and return to bombard T-FORCE bases on Titan. If it’s already hit the Forward Command Post and Camp Lonely Mountain, then Camp Hammersteel is next.”