Battle Beyond Earth: Deception

by Thomas, Nick S.

  Chapter 4

  Bradley took a sip from his drink. The bar was quiet, and that suited him just fine. He was doing his best to keep up the illusion of being Taylor, but was struggling more and more as the day went by. He fancied drowning his sorrows just like Taylor might do, but he didn’t have his constitution, and he knew that if he pushed it too far the game would be up. He wanted nothing more now than to retire to Taylor’s room and be away from everyone. He slipped into a daydream as he thought back to simpler times. He had imagined that playing Taylor would have been far more fun, but it was both boring and trying all at the same time.

  “The great Mitch Taylor, sitting all alone,” a voice declared.

  He snapped out of his daydream and prepared himself to pass off yet another admirer of the Colonel. When he looked up and found CJ leaning beside the bar, he almost froze in shock. He was unarmed now and looked as casual as Bradley did.

  “Hard work, is it? Lazing about a station far from the war.”

  Bradley tried to compose himself. He had no choice but to be on top form now.

  “It’s…it’s not by choice.”

  “Oh, but it is, and we both know that it is.”

  CJ took a few paces closer so that they could talk more privately.

  “You aren’t Taylor, and anyone who isn’t a fool could tell that.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “I think you do. You are an imposter, but what makes me curious is that your closest friend clearly knows you are. So what is the Alliance up to? Where is Taylor really?”

  Bradley was shaking his head as if to deny his words, and yet deep down he was terrified.

  “What? What are you going to do?”

  Bradley was struggling to find his words, and that brought a smile to CJ’s face.

  “That’s right, nothing, but that isn’t what Taylor would do. As much as I hate him, he is no coward. If I had spoken to him like that, he would have wanted blood. Hell, he’d probably want it for even just seeing me.”

  “I would do something if I could, but I am under strict orders. I have to heal. The Alliance needs me back in shape, and I cannot do anything to risk that. That includes petty fights with assholes like you.”

  CJ laughed as he called for a drink and threw it back. For a while he wouldn’t even make eye contact with Bradley, as if he felt no threat from him at all. Bradley had no idea how to deal with it.

  “Strict orders? Tell me one time when Taylor stuck to orders. Taylor does what he wants, and when he wants. It’s the only thing I do like about him.”

  Bradley looked horrified.

  “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. I’m curious as to why the Alliance thinks a deception like this is necessary, but my fight is with him. Not the man who looks and plays the part.”

  That was a relief for Bradley, although he still didn’t know how to handle CJ.

  “No, my issue is with Taylor, and I won’t have anyone meddling with that.”

  CJ then took another drink.

  Bradley couldn’t bring himself to admit that he was not Taylor, but now he didn’t have to, and he was lost for words.

  “When I do see Taylor for real, I’ll let him know you said hi,” CJ said, downed another, and walked away.

  Bradley sighed in utter relief, grabbed the bottle that had been put down beside CJ’s glass, and poured a large measure. He knocked it back and shivered from the rawness of it.

  “You okay, Colonel?” asked the barman.

  “Yeah…yes, I am, just fine.”

  He was about to freak out from all the pressure and left the bar as quickly as he could, instantly remembering the wounds he was supposed to have and so slowed down. He reached Taylor’s room and entered. It was as bare and stark as a new and clean room would be. He slumped into the bed. He couldn’t believe he had gotten away with it, but as he was starting to relax, the buzzer to his room rang out. It caused him to leap out of bed in fear of what was coming next.

  “Who is it?” he demanded.

  His voice was shaking, but he couldn’t contain himself.

  “Admiral Nilsson.”

  “Open,” replied Bradley.

  The Admiral stepped into the room, looking as calm and calculating as ever. Bradley backed off and sat back down on his bed. The door shut behind the Admiral, who said nothing as he analysed Bradley. The Sergeant was sweating and looked as fearful of the Admiral as he did CJ. Finally, the Admiral spoke.

  “You’re drunk.”

  “A little, Sir, but it is all part of maintaining the act.”

  “There is a half truth in that.”

  Bradley could tell the Admiral already knew about his encounter with CJ.

  “I did what I could.”

  Nilsson nodded in agreement.

  “No doubt you did, but it wasn’t enough, was it?”

  He shook his head.

  “Will he let this secret out?”

  “I don’t think so, Sir.”

  “Think? That isn’t good enough. You spoke to the Captain for long enough, you must have some idea as to his mind.”

  “He hates Taylor, and he knows I am not him, but I don’t think he will do anything to sabotage this.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he wants Taylor to himself. He wants to bring him down personally. Not through some tricks, but with his own two hands.”

  Bradley was close to weeping as he was overcome by the whole experience.

  “What is done is done. Focus,” said Nilsson.

  “Yes, Sir,” he replied, and his mouth quivered.

  “You really believe that CJ can be trusted to keep this secret?”

  “Yes, I do. That man is sadistic enough he doesn’t want anything or anyone getting in the way of whatever he wants to do to Taylor. I think if he could, he would go and kill Bolormaa himself, just so Taylor was free of her and he could have his way.”

  “Maybe that isn’t a bad thing. We need all the help we can get against this enemy, and as much as CJ is a murderous psychopath, he is our murderous psychopath.”

  “And if he gets to Taylor?”

  “The Colonel has survived far worse than the likes of him. Don’t worry about Taylor, by the time Rogers is through with him, CJ wouldn’t dare go near him.”

  Bradley looked surprised.

  “I thought…”

  “Don’t think. You leave the thinking to me. We didn’t just send Taylor out there to keep fighting under a different identity. We sent him away to become something entirely different. Something that could beat this scourge.”

  Bradley looked relieved as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Nilsson could tell what it meant to him to know that Taylor was going to have a chance, and he’d love to be able to share that fact with the rest of the Alliance.

  “It was a mistake to volunteer for this assignment,” said Bradley, slumping down onto his bed. His head struck the wall hard as he sat back, but he didn’t care, he had far larger concerns.

  “Just because it is harder than you thought, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have done it,” replied Nilsson.

  “You really think so, Sir?”

  “I know it. Taylor is an obnoxious officer who is incapable of working within the confines of the chain of command, as you know. And yet for all of his negative qualities, they are far outweighed by what he achieves. Taylor is much more than a good officer and a good leader. He is the very figurehead of the Alliance in this war. There is no man or woman more important than he is. Don’t think for a minute that I would ever admit it to him, of course.”

  Bradley laughed, and the Admiral saw that a little humour had helped him more than anything else could have.

  “Taylor is a pain in the butt, but he is also the most valuable asset we have, and it is both of our jobs to keep him alive and fighting. For you, that is more significant than anything else. You are giving us the breathing space we need. Your contribution is invaluable, and once this is all over, I
’ll make sure the whole universe knows it. You are a hero for your work here, and in time your name will be forever remembered alongside Taylor’s.”

  “If we live long enough to see that day.”

  “Of course we will. Humanity has survived everything that has ever been thrown at it, and we will endure once more.”

  “I really don’t know how you do it, Sir, same as Taylor.”

  “Do what?”

  “Hold onto that unbreakable will. Like nothing ever gets to you, and you know you are going to succeed.”

  “There, I believe, we must all take a leaf from Taylor’s book. He says a man who goes into a fight thinking he will lose, already has.”

  “Blind faith? That is what gets him through?”

  “I wouldn’t call it blind, far from it. You have to have faith in yourself, and everyone who works and fights beside you. If not, we truly have already lost. You did well today. You were put under the most extreme pressure I hoped for you to avoid entirely, let alone experience it on the first day of the job. But you made it through, and I am proud of you. I know the Colonel would be, too. Get some rest, and go back at it fresh tomorrow. That was a hell of a test today, and you passed. Well done.”

  Bradley looked as relieved as he did exhausted when the Admiral left. He wasn’t sure how much the Admiral was saying to simply keep him going forward, but it didn’t matter. He lay down and breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed.

  “It could be worse,” he said, smiling.

  * * *

  “When I go against that bitch it might well be my last chance, so you better be sure this kit is going to be up to the task,” snapped Taylor.

  He was stuck in the suit as it had powered down, and Rogers was helping to release it from his body.

  “The suits are proven. You just have to use them within the confines of their limits,” declared Rivers.

  “Seems a pretty small window though, doesn’t it?” Dart asked.

  “That is all a matter of perspective,” replied Rivers.

  “You know how long a battle can last?”

  “I am well aware, but I cannot provide the impossible. I am offering a real and useable piece of equipment here. You have seen how powerful it is.”

  “So five suits, that is all you have? It’s not so bad. I guess I could exchange them if I had the time,” said Taylor.

  “No, no, we cannot spare five. Two at the very most. We need to continue to work and develop this technology, and we cannot do that with less than three.”

  Taylor huffed in despair. The miracle technology they were being offered really wasn’t all it had first seemed.

  “I am sorry, Colonel, but we are doing the best we can with the knowledge, time, and equipment that we have.”

  “Time? It’s always about goddamn time, isn’t it? Can’t we ever just get a little free time, a bit of room to manoeuvre? Nope, no we can’t,” complained Taylor.

  “What enemy would ever give you that?”

  “None, chivalry never really existed even when the term was used, but it didn’t used to be the enemy’s choice. You bloody their noses enough, and you buy some time, but not with Bolormaa. It’s like she knows how much pressure to apply to keep us choking, and yet just about stay alive.”

  “That would make her quite a sick individual,” replied Rivers quizzically, as if he didn’t quite believe it could be true.

  “Damn right, she is!”

  “I very much doubt there is any intelligent individual in the universe who acts in such a way.”

  “Maybe you need to get out more.”

  Taylor was irritated as he was finally released from the suit. He was dripping with sweat from hours of training and testing, and starting to lose hope in Rivers’ work.

  “You got a bar?”

  Rivers shook his head. “There is no alcohol allowed here.”

  Taylor didn’t look impressed, and he didn’t want to hear any more of it. He stormed off, and only Rogers chased on after him.

  “Colonel, wait!”

  Taylor didn’t stop. He went for the nearest exist and kept going. Rogers tried to keep up. He passed through several corridors and came to what appeared as a natural beauty spot. It looked out over clifftops to a beautiful blue ocean. He could smell the salt in the air and hear the sound of seagulls circling overhead, and yet in his mind, he knew it was all fake. Just another artificial environment, no matter how realistic it was. Rogers finally caught up with him as he leant over the wooden barriers to what appeared to be a cliff edge.

  “Colonel, I know this isn’t all you wanted, but you have to see the value in the work that has been done here and all that it has achieved.”

  He finally nodded in agreement.

  “No doubt, it is remarkable what Rivers and Irala were working on, but it doesn’t change the fact that it is far from ready. We need those suits now, but not two that barely work for more than a few minutes. We need thousands of them that will work day after day,” he sighed.

  “And we will, eventually. You know these things can’t be developed overnight.”

  “No, but how long has this been going on? How many months or years?”

  He didn’t respond, but Taylor could tell the answer was not one that Rogers wanted to admit.

  “I just don’t see how we can make any of this work.”

  “Aren’t you forgetting our entire plan? Our deception?”

  Taylor shook his head.

  “Yeah, great, it’s wonderful, but it’s not going to hold up, is it? And we both know it.”

  “I see no reason to doubt that Sergeant Bradley is more than up to the task. Remember, he doesn’t need to be you, nor do what you can, only act the part.”

  “And you think Bolormaa is dumb enough to be fooled by that?”

  “I think she is not half as smart as you assume, yes.”

  “And if you’re wrong?”

  “Then I guess it won’t really matter. I’m right, or we’re dead.”

  “You’ve got to have some other plan in this war other than trying to build me into something that can defeat Bolormaa?”

  “Of course. The Alliance has many irons in the fire, plenty of which I am not aware of, or cleared to work on.”

  Taylor breathed a sigh of relief. It was at least something to know that he was not their last hope.

  “You see, I don’t believe Bolormaa is unkillable, like I told you. And I know all about the magical spear that can kill her. Yeah, yeah, we have been through that. But I simply don’t believe it.”

  “You haven’t had to face her though, have you?”

  “Thankfully not, but next time you do, I will.”

  Taylor’s eyebrow raised, shocked at that response.

  “That’s right. I am not here to just work behind the scenes, and my superiors believe it is important you know you have someone confident enough in what we are trying to achieve, and that I would risk the same as you are when it comes to it.”

  “And you are ready for that?”

  “Hell, no. I am not sure anyone could ever be truly ready for that, but I am willing.”

  “That is the first thing that has given me an ounce of faith since we got here. It’s all very well for a scientist or a mechanic to build some piece of hardware they think is the shit, but a willingness to actually go out there and use it, is certainly a different matter altogether.”

  “I am well aware of that fact. But it is not just facing Bolormaa that I am here for. Through this operation you have lost your team, your own people. Specifically, your right-hand man, and I know what he means to you.”

  “You sure have done your reading.”

  “Like I said, I make it my mission to know everything about an operation. I have studied your past from the day you were born to the day we met.”

  “That’s gotta be boring as hell.”

  Rogers laughed.

  “Boring? Despite all the losses in your life, you have lived one of the most exciting lives any hu
man ever has. You know what I would give to live through all that, and across two lifetimes? You were there when humanity made first contact with intelligent life, and you are here now, hundreds of years in the future.”

  “You make it all sound like a party. Trust me, I’d trade you in a shot.”

  “I am sure you would. It must be a hell of a weight to have all that on your shoulders, and all the pressure that people’s expectations present. But you have had a truly unique experience of life. Hell, I think you probably understand life far better than any of us.”

  Taylor looked out to sea, believing for a moment that it was real, as he took in the fresh cool air.

  “You’d think so, wouldn’t you? You’d think I had some great wisdom to share or some enlightened shit that would result from it all, but it just isn’t the case. I don’t feel any different today than I did back hundreds of years ago. All I ever wanted was to serve my country and fight for it, and I got to do that, and I keep doing it. Okay, it’s for more than just my country now, but the same applies. This is what I was born for. I am a fighter. That is all.”

  “Yes, you are, and a hell of a fighter at that.”

  Taylor shrugged.

  “Why be humble about it? Look at the battles you have won and the opponents you have overcome.”

  “Many of them are little more than a daze, and against the likes of Erdogan and his kind, it seems like little more than luck as I fumbled my way through.”

  “I don’t believe it. Nobody has that much luck.”

  “Yeah, I would never have thought so, but I shouldn’t have got this far.”

  “Why do you think you have?”

  Taylor shrugged.

  “I just don’t know anymore. I am not saying I haven’t put one hundred and ten percent into everything I have done, but so did many others who lost their lives along the way.”

  “Then either you are that good, or you are some prophet like the Krys say you are.”

  “Some of them say that, the others would rather kill me for the very suggestion of it.”

  “Still, one of two options, what would you say it comes down to?”

  He dipped his head as he thought it over. It is something he had wasted plenty of time thinking over across many sleepless nights, and yet still he couldn’t decide.