Initiation Series: Series One Compilation (Terran Chronicles)

by James Jackson

  “With Earth gone, we are heavily reliant on the Gamin and Kord for virtually everything, and as of right now, all our efforts are going into repairing the fleets, leaving little for the colony.”

  Walker shrugs as he replies, “So?”

  George continues, “You are a military man, and understand war. Those of us on the Terran know what it’s really like out there. But the people here,” he says, waving his arms around, “well, they have no real idea how dangerous it is, and think that our repairs are not that important.”

  “Are we in danger here?” Walker asks, then shakes his head as he answers his own question, “I know we’re in danger.”

  George stares at Walker, and with a voice completely devoid of emotion, states, “Given half a chance, the Atlans would kill us all!”

  Walker swallows hard, then glancing upward, questions, “Can the Gamin protect us?”

  George shakes his head as he replies, “They can’t even protect themselves, and the only reason they’re still alive, is because they’re mobile.”

  “Mobile?” Walker questions; not grasping George’s meaning.

  “Yes!” George states, then adds, “I once heard either Sharz or Voknor comment that it’s too dangerous to live on planets, and yet here we are!”

  “Oh,” Walker says, then with a chill running up his spine, states, “That’s why you want the Terran repaired immediately!”

  “Yes!” George replies, “Then we have options. Right now, we’re trapped rats, and the Atlans are out there, somewhere, and they would love nothing better than to exterminate us!”

  “I have heard about your alliance idea,” Walker states as he nods, then presses, “you want them to stay, to help us, don’t you?”

  George stares at Walker then says, “I want us all to live. And by all, I mean us, the Gamin, and the Kord.”

  Walker leans on his bike as he states more than asks, “You like them, the Gamin, don’t you?”

  George grins, then suddenly stops, and states, “I know what we have to do!”

  Walker watches as George rushes off, towards the town hall, having not answered his question. But he knows the answer, and smiles. He shakes his head as he recalls why he was called here in the first place, then steps into the warehouse. He immediately chastises the man behind the counter, reminding him that if it were not for George, Hawking would not exist.

  George’s mind works faster than most, in fact, probably faster than all! His enhanced intellect is something he embraces now, and when he applies himself, he can see things and predict events, with enough of a degree of certainty, that even he is surprised at times.

  He rushes into the town hall and interrupts Cindy and Barbara, who are sitting down, and as usual of late, discussing the town’s situation.

  George blurts out, “We have no time to waste, you must hand over all authority to General Walker!”

  Cindy leans back in her chair and stares at George, dumfounded.

  Barbara blinks in surprise, and then asks, “What have you learned that brings to you this rather drastic conclusion?”

  “There will be protests any day now, people complaining about their living conditions.” George explains.

  Barbara frowns, then states, “We have had colonists living in far worse conditions before…” She lets her words trail off, as if that were answer enough.

  George shakes his head and points out the window as he replies, “These new arrivals were literally plucked off the streets. They’re not colonists; many have not yet fully grasped the dire situation we are all in.”

  Cindy tilts her head as she asks, “Dire situation?”

  “Yes!” George replies.

  Barbara glances back and forth from Cindy to George, then says, “We all know Earth is gone, and the Atlans want us dead. So, what’s this new dire threat?”

  “Us!” George replies, then realizing that neither of the women understand what he is referring to, he explains, “There will be a civil uprising, and unless you are willing to order Walker to shoot people, they will come in here, and tear this place apart in frustration.”

  Barbara stands, walks to the windows that overlook the colony, then asks, “George, how certain of this are you?”

  “There is a high probability,” George replies, then sighs as he concedes, “but it’s not one hundred percent.”

  Barbara continues gazing outside as she ponders George’s words, then after a few moments, asks, “Would the General simply hand power back over, once he got it, or would he use his military to form a dictatorship?”

  Cindy nods at the question, then turns to George, and waits for his answer.

  “I met General Walker when he was in charge of NORAD,” George explains, then says, “he is well versed in dealing with difficult situations, and I found him to be an honorable man, and feel that he still is.”

  Barbara paces back and forth as she persists, “I know he is honorable, but that really does not answer the question. Besides, what he can do, that I can’t?”

  “It’s all about response time!” George answers, then upon seeing their blank expressions, explains, “If a group of armed individuals came at the town hall now, or we were attacked from space, Walker would be obligated to await your decision before taking action!”

  “Armed?” Barbara questions, shocked by the idea, momentarily ignoring his mentioning of an attack from space.

  “Yes!” George confirms, then asks, “Was anyone searched when they arrived?”

  Cindy’s’ jaw drops as she says, “No, we didn’t search anyone. But that was because…” She stops talking then looks at Barbara as she continues, “because we respect their privacy!”

  “Exactly!” George replies, “You consider the new arrivals to have the same rights as everyone else here. But you know nothing of these people. None were vetted for this colony; some could be criminals, which would explain the black market!”

  Barbara smiles, then says, “I have known about the small black market for a long time, as I thought you did too!”

  George shakes his head as he states, “Yes, but this is something more, something well organized, and if we don’t act, then their activities will cause the people to demand you do something.”

  Barbara turns to face George as she slowly says, “And they will come here, in force, demanding action, while the General waits for instructions.”

  “As he has done in the past!” George reminds them both.

  Cindy sighs as she shares her thoughts, “But if it were public knowledge that the General was in charge, and that armed guards patrolled the streets, the average person would not cause a disturbance.”

  “Yes!” George replies, then adds, “Plus, if there is violence, you are separated from it, and can condemn it. Heck, you can even promise to conduct an investigation, keeping the populace content that you still have their best interests at heart.”

  Barbara stops, stunned by the entire concept, then says, “But if I am in charge, then I would be perceived as being a part of any action taken. The people would not trust me anymore.”

  George grins widely as he responds, “See! You must hand over power; before it is too late!”

  Barbara shifts her attention from George to Cindy, then slowly agrees, “I will call a township meeting in the stadium, where I will hand over all authority to Walker, temporarily.”

  Cindy comments, “The people will want to know why.”

  Barbara nods, then with growing confidence suggests, “I can base my decision on several factors; the Gamin, the Kord, and the loss of Earth! I can also state that we have new information pertaining to the Atlan threat, and once the Terran is capable, we will be able to reassess that threat. But until then, we can no longer afford the luxury of being a democracy!”

  George applauds her, saying, “Perfect!”

  Cindy stands, then says, “I will find the General, and inform him personally of George’s suggestion. I don’t want the public seeing you two talking all day, especially just
before the handover. That would make it look too staged.”

  George frowns, then says, “Good idea. But, some will still spout conspiracy theories!”

  Barbara grins as she replies, “And to think, for once, they would be right.” She turns to George and says, “Thank you for recognizing an upcoming disaster to our colony, and for providing a viable solution.”

  Barbara stares out the window once more as she ponders their future. She is still numb to the fact that Earth is gone, with part of her not accepting that as fact. With a deep sigh, she contacts the various community subcommittee members, and informs them that the entire populace is to assemble in the stadium. She glances to the mountain side, then realizes that the telescope she pushed so hard to get constructed; Andrew’s Radio Telescope, is not only obsolete, but probably a technological joke to the Kord and Gamin. She sighs again, then looks away, and prepares herself for the evening.

  Slightly more than thirty thousand people fill the stadium, practically the entire population of Hawking, except for a few guards which Walker has stationed near crucial areas. It is clear from the clamor, that knowledge of Earth’s attack has spread.

  Barbara and Walker stride toward a podium, where she taps on a microphone, and says, “May I have your attention please.” She again taps on the microphone and repeats her request twice more, before the crowd settles down.

  Barbara takes a deep breath, then begins, “By now, most of you know that Earth was attack by a race called Atlans. During the attack, they rendered Earth uninhabitable, and although one of Regent Voknor’s people has gone back to look for survivors, the odds of there being any, in any great number, are slim.” She pauses as she fights back tears.

  Walker offers her a supportive nod, but remains quiet. A low murmuring emanates from the stadium as people begin to realize that the rumors are indeed true.

  After a moment, Barbara continues, “The Gamin attempted to defend our world, but were overwhelmed by the strength of the attackers. Despite the odds, they succeeded in saving more than three thousand of you, but did so at the cost of ships and people. We should be grateful for their sacrifice!”

  The atmosphere in the stadium changes as fear is replaced with anger. The volume increases when some people begin to shout.

  Barbara holds a hand up as she loudly continues, “As of tonight, I am declaring a state of emergency!”

  The crowd quiets down a little, as many wait to hear what that entails. Some nudge those who are still shouting, encouraging them to listen.

  When the noise subsides, Barbara motions to Walker, and states, “As of this moment, General Walker is taking over all government responsibilities, until,” She stops talking as the noise level from the crowd increases once more. With a shrug, she looks to Walker; the crowd is not listening to her.

  General Walker approaches the microphone, then loudly, and authoritatively, states, “This is a temporary measure only! We must repair the Terran and determine if we are safe from an Atlan attack!” He knows this will shake the crowd up, but he firmly believes the people should focus on the external threat, and not on the petty day to day issues of the colony.

  Barbara raises her eyebrows as she realizes that Walker is indeed taking a military approach, one the people will understand. Outwardly, she remains stern, but in reality, she is elated by Walker’s strategy. It will allow him to relinquish authority relatively easily, once the Atlan threat has passed. Perhaps it is her arrogance, or the fact that she is used to getting her way; in either case, she has no doubts that in a short period of time, they will be safe, and everything will return to normal.

  Walker finishes his speech, and in the process, subdues the crowd, “There will be a curfew, starting tomorrow night, in addition to which, my forces will be conducting a city-wide search, for those responsible for the rash of recent thefts.”

  A voice shouts out, and is soon mirrored by others, “What about the aliens?”

  Walker has been expecting this question, and replies, “The Gamin and Kord are our allies, and our friends, and will be treated as such, by all.”

  Barbara gazes around, then stops and stares in disbelief. Somehow, General Walker was able to get his men stationed at various points throughout the stadium. Hundreds of armed soldiers are what has subdued the crowd, not his words. She glances to Walker, who simply stares back at her, deadpan.

  Walker leans toward the microphone, and orders, “All civilians are to return to their homes; Hawking is now under martial law!”

  He turns to leave, and as he passes Barbara whispers, “It’s better in the long run if they hate me and love you.”

  Barbara blinks in surprise, then replies, “I almost hate you! Martial Law! Curfews!”

  “Don’t forget the house searches!” Walker adds with a sly smile.

  “You mean business!” Barbara states bluntly.

  “I will prevent a civil uprising against you, even if it means ruffling a few feathers.” Walker replies.

  The pair watches as the stadium empties, then they too, depart.

  Surprisingly, the next few days are quiet, with few incidents. Walker’s troops are not brazen, or harsh, and when none of the expected house searches take place, the majority of the citizens settle back into their usual routines.

  However, one night, a group of young men, brandishing small arms, test the curfew. They realize, a little too late, that their foolhardiness is not tolerated. Walker himself is one of those who stares down the sights of a rifle as he demands the group stops, or be shot on the spot. Fortunately for all concerned, they surrender without a fight.

  Walker speaks with each individual, and then documents his findings. After a few days in solitary confinement, the men are released, minus their weapons. He doubts any of them will cause any trouble in the future.

  Barbara reads Walker’s notes, and is not surprised to learn the entire group was amongst the those rescued by the Gamin. She imagines what could have happened had they come to her office, and shudders. She feels that Walker is letting them off lightly until she reads his updates, which indicate that they are each under constant surveillance.

  The days come and go with few issues. The industrious Gamin, and the savvy Kord, soon have multiple construction docks built, and are already stockpiling resources.

  Technological Marvels

  Outwardly things appear to have been going well, but in reality, Voknor is under immense pressure. Although he has the support of his fellow Regents, there have been setbacks with the construction of the docks; engineers of the three clans have differing opinions, about how to proceed, with each performing tasks their own way. The same goes for mining operations, with each clan independently commencing their own operations, reducing their overall efficiency. With no one Regent in charge of these tasks, the engineers end up assigning areas for mining, and specific docks for ship construction. Jukalore has three docks, Hemlax and Voknor two each, and Waazh, one. Fortunately, all agree to set Waazh’s clan up with mining equipment, and to send all resources to his dock, so that his ship can be built first.

  The colonists are oblivious to how fragile the alliance is; even many of the Kord doubt the value of helping the humans, and constantly disagree amongst themselves. Golward finds he too is spending more and more time settling disagreements. It does not help that every single Gamin craft requires a complete overhaul to facilitate the new shield technology.

  Regent Voknor spends much of his time placating one group or another, taxing his patience. Once the resources start to flow, and construction on Waazh’s’ craft begins, the disputes between the Gamin engineers diminish, but Golward’s task becomes increasingly difficult as the space station is delayed again and again.

  Though stressed, Regent Voknor is pleased to finally be able to send messages to a select few at the colony, to board a shuttle he has sent down. He is looking forward to an enjoyable and relaxing time as is Golward; a change from the stress charged days.

  The Gamin pilot lands near the tow
n hall, and does not identify himself as he steps from the shuttle. He glances at a hand-held tablet, and taps it as each person boards. The list is a who’s who of familiar faces, and includes the Terran’s bridge crew. They look to each other excitedly, and wonder what this is about. Even Robert is included, and his role as a reporter, is in short demand these days. No one wants to hear any of his news stories, no matter how positive a spin he puts on them.

  The pilot is efficient, and once they are all settled, he gets them into space quickly. They are surprised to see the Terran hovering in orbit, and no longer parked on top of the Regent’s flagship. It is still missing its main engines, but some of the hull damage has been repaired. They fly in through the open ramp, and then land near two other shuttles. The main ramp closes behind them as they step onto the deck.

  Waiting for them is Regent Voknor, who is grinning, and Golward. The pair makes an odd couple standing in front of an array of bodysuits, computer consoles, and other unidentifiable equipment which rests on some tables.

  Regent Voknor turns to George and says, “I will be departing shortly to find out what happened to Sharz and your family.”

  George smiles weakly and replies, “Thank you.”

  “Before I go,” Voknor continues, “we will demonstrate our commitment to this alliance.”

  He motions to Golward, who excitedly points to what looks like a computer console. Golward grins as he says, “This is a holographic projector. The same kind we have been trading with the various Gamin clans for some time.”

  George recalls the first time he saw a holographic image of a Gamin in Manhattan.

  Golward glances at George, and then interrupts his musings, “I have another gift.” He steps over to the dull Kord Power Unit and presses a button on a small hand-held device. The unit begins to pulse as Golward waves at it and says, “It will now recharge to full capacity from the power grid, when there is a power surplus.”

  Joe’s is stunned by the revelation that the unit is rechargeable, then catching some key words, asks, “Full capacity?”