by Greg Dragon
~*~*~*~
When it was clear that Aurora would not join him in leaving the Helysian, Rafian decided he would forego a visit to the commander and travel back to Vestalia. The trip to Helysian had been impulsive, but he had not seen his sister in a long time, and he’d needed to check in on her to try to remove her from what he believed to be a death trap. He flew his phantom towards the moon of Lear, Vestalia and docked at one of the satellite hubs to do what he had promised Velman he would do. The satellites had once been used by the towers in Vestalia to broadcast vids, assist spacecraft, and hold supplies. But after the Geralos had invaded, the humans had turned them into living spaces for refugees. Rafian had never been to a hub, but as a cadet, he had been taught that they were a nest filled with parasitic human beings, preying on the weak to survive.
When he was asked to identify himself, Rafian made up a name and told the guards that he was there on supply detail. The security was lax and they let him dock and enter the hub without any show of identification. The dock area was full of rough men working on ships and hauling supplies. Rafian walked through them quickly, but in the corners, he noticed a few vagrant-types, their makeshift homes of old boxes and crates lined neatly against the walls. He moved into the main living area of the hub and the number of box homes grew, making it difficult to avoid stepping on them. When he got past the large room of boxes, he came upon a lively area. There were shops with fancy signs above them near the walls, and in the center was a crowd of people – too many for them to be comfortable yet so used to one another that they tolerated it.
Rafian saw large, makeshift house-crates suspended from the ceiling. There were boxes in the corners and near the walls, and people without even that to live in, lying on the floor. There didn’t seem to be enough water for all of them and the place stunk. As he walked through all of this, heading towards a coffee shop, he saw what appeared to be a prostitute, letting a john have his way with her as several children looked on. The few parents who were present did not care to hide any of it from them, as they were more curious about him—a clean presence in a ship full of filth. He thought on his youth when the Marines had debated whether to keep him or send him to a place just like this. He knew that children were probably preyed on more than anyone else was and his heart sunk at the thought of what they were going through, and what his life could have been if he hadn’t been given the opportunity to leave.
As he neared the coffee stand, an old man with black and yellow teeth ran up to him and touched his cloak. “Phaser!” he yelled in recognition of the article of clothing.
Rafian looked at him with curiosity, as the old man seemed to be wearing the fatigues of the old Alliance Army.
“Who are you, soldier?” he asked the old man.
The man looked at him and smiled, happy for the recognition. “They called me Brise when I was a human being, Phaser. Now, they call me Sarge—though my rank was not quite that.”
“Sergeant? With whom did you serve, Brise? You look like you’ve been to hell and back. How did you get here and how can I help?”
“I served with a Commander Retzo Sho, aboard the Rendron, back before the lizards took over his mind and made us all kill one another. I fought alongside Rend and the woman they call Hellgate, back when she was a spoiled young cruta who couldn’t tell the butt of a gun from the barrel.”
With that, he smiled, showing off a crooked row of ugly, rotten teeth and brushed back his patchy red hair, as if that would be enough to fix his appearance. He had a thick beard that showed some grey poking through, but his face was still very youthful.
Hearing that he’d fought alongside Hellgate made Rafian even more eager to help him. He sat with the old man outside one of the nicer crates and the pair swapped war stories. It was all a sad situation to Rafian, as he listened to Brise brag on about being one of the best engineers in the Alliance. It didn’t really matter what he was, because whether or not that were true, he was stuck on a disgusting hub with criminals, eating rotten food, dealing with poor hygiene and living the life that no hero of the Alliance should live. Once he had finished telling Rafian everything, the Phaser got up, purchased two coffees, handed one to Brise and toasted Lady Hellgate.
“I’m taking you with me, Brise.”
“What!?”
“You don’t know who I am or what I have going on, but no lizard-killing hero of my father’s age need live out his life in a hub.”
“Gratitude to you soldier, but you see, I cannot just leave these people. They are like family, see? And while I have my old stories and my good years as a soldier, I won’t abandon them. I left the Rendron during the time of the lizard mind control and I abandoned Rend and Helga. I thought I was the smart one for doing that and they never knew what happened to me. But I came here and hid for years, paranoid that the lizards would find me and take my brain. After a while, I got the news that Rendron was taken over by Rend, but I was now here and settled. If I had gone back, they would have tried me for treason, or worse. So I got comfortable, got married and made a life here.”
Rafian thought for a long time about the living conditions he was witnessing. There were thousands of hubs all around Vestalia and it had never dawned on him that this was the reality of the human condition and not the military ship that he had grown up on. Rich, privileged children were able to become cadets in the military and they gave him a chance, as an orphan, only because he had stowed away on the Helysian.
He flew back to Vestalia with the hub embedded in his mind and decided that for every city that they reclaimed, the inhabitants of a hub would be flown in to be given housing within it. The military would maintain governmental control for a time, but only until the people elected their own officials, who would then answer to the Alliance. He would empty all of the hubs, starting with this one, and then he would send all of the disgusting satellites into the suns. He was upset with himself for only seeing the living conditions now and he understood what Aurora had meant when she’d said he was disconnected.
All the drama that he had with the women in his life, the tunnel vision he held for the war, the struggle to win back Vestalia – it had all kept him blind to the reality that was the human condition in space. He had grown up in the dirt, just as these children were, but it was not something that defined him. He thought about the slums on Geral and how they seemed like expensive mansions compared to the crates and boxes he’d just seen his fellow humans living in. For hours, he stewed on it and when he finally landed in front of the Phaser agency, he rushed out to talk it over with Tayden.
By the time he landed, it was late evening and Camille, Tayden and Frank were waiting for him.
“You’re a little late aren’t you, Raf?” Tayden said as she removed her arm from around Camille’s shoulders.
The latter seemed upset and Frank was shaking his head as if to warn him about what he was about to hear. Leaving nothing to assumption, he hopped out of the phantom and walked over to them.
“What happened?” Rafian asked. “Full details, please. Spare nothing.”
“Camille feels as if she’s let us down. There was a fight to see if Dott was Phaser-ready and she spoke out against the practice in front of the recruits.”
Rafian looked over at the red-haired Phaser and kept staring until she raised her silvery pupils to meet his. “Camille. You know as well as every soldier here that undermining Tayden in front of the recruits opens a door to unhealthy speculation and possible hesitation in carrying out her orders. Now, don’t get me wrong; I do agree with you. We need a better way to promote our Aces, but we cannot allow ourselves to show anything but a unified front.”
Camille nodded and then walked over to hug him. She did it in such a way that he could not stop her, and he purposefully averted his gaze from Tayden with the silent hope that she didn’t read anything into it.
“Where is Dott now?” Rafian asked as he released Camille and rested his hand on Frank’s shoulder.
&n
bsp; “She’s in the hospital being patched up. Camille cut her on those sore ribs—from the mission—and then shot her up pretty badly.”
“Well, Camille, the fact that she survived all of that punishment from you should be proof enough that she has an Ace’s toughness. Do you not agree?” Rafian asked her with a wink.
“She’s one of us, Rafian. I said as much to the recruits after I went off on Tayden about the process. The only thing she needs now is for you, the Supreme Leader, to make her official.”
“Well that sounds great; take me to her so that I can promote her immediately.”
~*~*~*~
Maes Van Senthyn was running out of time. He was out of adaptation serum and was at risk of exposure if he didn’t get off of the ship soon. He had missed his shot at Rafian, but he had enough information to make his mission a success. The night before, he had sent a signal to the Geralos command, alerting them to where the Helysian was. His plan was to have the Geralos strike at Helysian and within the ensuing chaos, sneak off to rejoin his comrades on the ship. He would be given a hero’s welcome when he did that, and the Phasers would be next on their strike list.
He wanted to get the location of their hidden city, but this was going beyond his mission parameters. What he had on the humans was enough to make his mission a success, but his pride pushed him to get more. He wanted the Phasers’ base of operations but Aurora was not talking and he was running out of time.
Pryston had been asked to a meeting with Yuth Varience—a high-ranking Phaser, from what he understood. When he told Maes that he would be leaving to become a Phaser, Maes feigned sadness at him leaving but took advantage of it to try one more desperate move. He was in bed with Pryston when he rolled over and touched him to wake him.
“Pryston, you awake?”
“Now I am. What’s up? You can’t sleep?” Pryston asked with a warm smile on his face.
“I have something to tell you, but you have to promise me that you won’t get upset,” Maes said as he sat up and switched the light on.
Pryston was curious at what it was that would make his normally quiet lover wake him up, so he, too sat up and stretched his muscular arms. “I promise, so spill it. What do you need to tell me?”
“You know how everyone says that it is intel from this ship that led to Missio-tral being attacked?” he asked.
“Yeah, that’s the rumor. What of it?”
“Well, the last few days I’ve been seeing some odd behavior on the bridge, and I’m thinking that I know who the traitor is on Helysian.”
“Stop speaking in riddles, man. WHO?”
“Colonel LOB,” he said under his breath and threw up his hands as if he expected Pryston to lash out at him.
“That isn’t funny, Sako,” Pryston said. He knew the woman well and had served under her, so he didn’t appreciate Maes—who was still considered an outsider—talking down on one of his mentors.
“Why would I make such a joke, Pryston? I know what she means to you. Schtill, I greet her every day and she has been one of the nicest people to me. Everyone treats me like I don’t belong, as if I am a useless charity case that Helysian inherited.”
“Come on, Maes, I didn’t mean it like—”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to believe me. But just remember that she sits at the right hand of the commander, Abe RUS. If we were to get attacked suddenly by a host of Geralos ships, remember what I told you, and know that we had a chance to stop it, and we let it happen.”
He stared at Pryston, waiting for his reaction and the young man seemed uncertain as Maes’s words did their magic.
“I will mention it to the Phasers when I go see them,” he said and Maes let it drop, knowing that the seed had been planted.
Memory 7
When Rafian entered the hospital room of Dott Toga, he noticed Laern Cobo was with her and the sight of him soured his mood. He didn’t know what it was about Cobo that rubbed him the wrong way, but it only took one glance for him to get angry whenever the younger Phaser crossed his path. The young agent saw the commander walking towards him and got up from his seat to salute. He knew not to stick around due to Rafian’s demeanor and after the salute he walked past him, wondering if he was angry with him for dying on their mission.
“Commander, may I have a quick word?” he asked meekly as Rafian stood with his back to him.
Rafian turned slowly to face him. “What is it, agent?”
“I just want to apologize for my conduct, and for letting you and Commander Yuth down on the mission on Geral. It was an honor to be picked out of so many to accompany you and I know that you expected a lot more out of me.”
“Laern, before you were reborn into the order, what did you do?”
“I was a pilot, sir. I was a captain for a fleet of asps onboard the battleship Ridex.”
“So the lives of many men and women were in your hands on a daily basis. Who recruited you and why?”
“Commander Frank OTA found me, sir and he informed me that my selection was due to my outstanding record as not only a pilot but as a leader.”
“How’d that make you feel?”
“Like a god, sir. I have had many kudos throughout my career, but every soldier knows that to be chosen as a Phaser, you have to be the absolute best. Having a Phaser Ace tell me that I qualified made me feel like a giant. I will never forget the day that he visited me.”
“Have you stopped to ask any of the other Phasers about their history, Laern?”
“Not really, sir,” he admitted. “We all talk about our past once in a while, especially as recruits, but I couldn’t tell you much about any of my brothers and sisters. I just know that we all were chosen and that we are here to do a job no one else is able to do.”
“Every Phaser here has a military or civilian track record for action that would impress the most seasoned battleship commander. All of you have histories that are beyond impressive and all of you were taken out of units that desperately needed you for success. This includes the recruits vying for position, the pretty young girls that you flash your badge and tattoos at, and the men and women that carry out some of the lower-end jobs like building new fighter jets and designing new uniforms.”
“I can explain my—“
Rafian didn’t let him finish. “Save it. I am not telling you these things to get an explanation or an apology. The woman in that room was a recruit when we selected her for that mission and you were an agent. Think on that; on what happened that day and the fact that she is about to be made into a peer to the other Phaser aces, and reconsider your direction here.”
“Yes, sir!”
Laern suddenly felt a wash of embarrassment and panic as Rafian’s words sank in. It drove home the point that Dott had outshone him. Being an agent was a soldier’s dream, but being an Ace was much, much more. He bowed to Rafian as the big man turned, but he couldn’t help but feel that he was being scolded because the commander actually cared. Did Rafian believe that he had what it took to become an Ace? Why else would he be so annoyed at his juvenile antics that he would give him a speech about leadership? Laern brushed back his green hair and took in a deep breath as he thought about it at length. Dott had told him that Yuth Varience had defended him and now Rafian, the Supreme Leader, had scolded him in the way a father might do. In Meluvia he would have cut himself several times in front of the commander to force forgiveness, but as a Phaser he would need to do a lot more.
“Now isn’t that a beautiful smile,” Rafian said as he leaned over the bed of Dott Toga. He kissed her on the forehead.
“Seeing you makes all of my pain fall away, Commander,” Dott said. “Plus, how many girls are lucky enough to be kissed by Rafian VCA?”
You have no idea, Rafian thought as he smiled at her and held her hand. Dott was an attractive woman, but she looked very much like the stereotype of a soldier. She was hard and muscular in her appearance, but her skin held a pretty, reddish-brown comple
xion that hinted at Casanian blood in her family line. She reminded him of Hellgate, and he wondered if the soft spot he had for her was due to this. She caught him staring and blushed, confused at his intent until he caught himself.
“This is long overdue,” he said, and handed her a set of pins that signified her new rank as a Phaser Ace. The pins were to go on her coat for their more formal meetings, but the true rank he gave her verbally. It was from the lips of the Supreme Leader and all Phasers and military commanders across the galaxy would hear of it. He let her know as much, and then sat with her to explain Camille's history so that she would understand why the ceremony had been so dramatic.
"I know that you didn't have to tell me any of that and I appreciate you so much, sir,” Dott said after he had finished his explanation. “Camille YAN is a hero to me; she’s a hero for most women in the military. I will prove myself to her, one way or another. She will soon truly accept me as a sister.”
“Good. So, have the doctors told you that you will be required to clone? Have they put your records into the machine as of yet?"
"Not yet, sir, but I won't need to clone. I am going to be worked on tonight and they say that I will be able to leave as soon as tomorrow evening."
"Wonderful!" Rafian said. He made to leave before Dott stopped him short.
"Can you stay for a few minutes more, Commander? I have something private I would like to talk to you about."
"Sure thing. What's bothering you?"
"Well, sir, it's the cloning. As Phasers we are cheating natural death, aren't we? Our lives will eclipse whole lifetimes and we are given such tremendous power. I guess that—well, what I’m asking is, what is to stop me from becoming a dangerous, immortal monster?"
Where is all this coming from? Rafian asked himself. He tried to keep his voice even in order to hide the annoyance that he felt. "Nothing. A Phaser is a dangerous weapon, yes, but the education teaches us control,” he told her. “The first Supreme Leader became that monster of which you speak, and we were forced to wipe his records from the cloner and take his head off with a las-sword. Without the skills, cloner and crystals, we are ordinary men and women. Two of those elements can be taken away from you instantly, so you can only remain dangerous for a short period. This is why the Makers tasked multiple people instead of only one."