Here Comes Earth: Emergence

by William Lee Gordon

  I’d thought I would feel better once I’d relieved that burden but why then did I still feel tied-up in knots?

  Now that most everyone else had retired for the night I’d pulled Iron Jaw in for a private planning session.

  “I’m glad somebody feels that way,” I responded.

  “Well, Dr. Schein kind of put it in perspective for me when she talked about taking out the Noridian ship. Frankly Matt, I’ve been so consumed with either the immediate needs of keeping everyone alive or the long term challenge of Noridia swallowing Earth that I was overlooking the obvious next step - that Noridian ship that Jaki controls can decimate Earth’s defenses. Julie’s right, it has to be taken out before we can do anything else.”

  Few commanders were instinctively good at both strategic and tactical thinking. It was easy to focus on the big picture and lose sight of the immediate next step or conversely, not be able to think about anything other than staying alive for the next 24 or 48 hours. Command school focused on this challenge and Mike was making the kind of admission that few combat commanders would make - and it wouldn’t be happening now if Mike didn’t trust me to both understand and to make good decisions.

  “Listen Mike, you’ve done pretty well so far and I trust your judgment. As a matter of fact that’s a big reason we need to talk; I need to make some decisions.”

  I continued, “I’ll admit I was relieved to hear back from the Coridians on Earth that Jaki hasn’t arrived yet. I’m pretty confident that Silva’s people got our message through to the President but I’ve been worried about what type of orders might come back through the pipeline. I have no idea if Colonel Memphis or Dr. Helmer have been sending messages back home but if they’ve convinced everyone that we’re the rogue element we could be facing orders to stand down.”

  “Now wouldn’t that be a pretty pickle,” responded Major Reynolds.

  “If those orders to stand down did come through,” I continued. “I’m thinking I would have to disregard them.”

  There was a long silence while we both leaned back in our chairs and looked at the ceiling, or looked at anything else other than each other. I needed to know where Mike stood. Even though he was good at playing the ‘I’m only a simple soldier’ act you don’t reach his rank and carry his command record without being able to make tough decisions. He knew exactly what I was asking him and he wasn’t going to give me an answer until he’d thought it through.

  The US military had for decades now trained a doctrine of individual initiative. Unlike the old Soviet or Chinese Armies where even high ranking commanders were afraid to make important decisions (even critical on-the-spot improvisations while in the throes of combat were ‘discouraged’), the US military encouraged everyone working autonomously in the field – at any rank - to assess, adapt, and overcome changing obstacles and circumstances. This versatility was a major reason for many US military victories going back as far as WWII and beyond.

  Of course, ‘autonomous’ was the key word. If your ranking superior was standing next to you and had access to the same tactical information as you did you had better obey his or her orders – because disobeying a direct order was an oath-breaking career ender except for the most extreme of circumstances.

  I was telling Mike that I was prepared to disobey a direct order; possibly from the President of the United States herself.

  After a long while Mike started talking. “It’s true that we’re in a unique position to know the Noridian’s true agenda but we’ve forwarded that information to our government and we can’t know what other information the President might be privy to that we’re ignorant of. We have no legal right to disregard her orders.”

  After a pause he continued, “On the other hand, disinformation is at the core of the Noridian aggression and they will soon have a ship in Earth orbit that poses a clear and present danger to our cities and our military infrastructure - and they have clearly demonstrated their willingness to use that force against us. We will be, for a short window of time, maybe the only ones on Earth in a position to remove that threat - and our actions could very well be considered a continuation of our defense against their unprovoked attack on Stiger.”

  I was somewhat hopeful that Mike might find a way to rationalize taking out the Noridian ship, perhaps something as simple as telling me not to inform him of any such differing orders, but he surprised me with what he said next.

  “I’ve spent my whole career trying to stay out of politics yet it’s affected me it at every turn. Whether it’s watching good troops die in a war that nobody with a straight face can give a good reason for us fighting or as simple as watching a numbnutz like Memphis get promoted for how many asses he can kiss.

  “This is probably the first time in my entire career that it’s totally black and white for me; the first time that I don’t feel the need to wonder about the motivations or just need to take for granted the justice of our mission. I’m going to do everything in my power to take out that ship and I don’t care if I have to kick ass on the Noridians, the Coridians, or even the Joint Chiefs and the White House itself.

  “Matt, I told you back on Stiger that I was willing to follow your lead,” he continued. “And I still am but I need to know if you’re as committed as I am – even if we have to protect our planet from threats both foreign and domestic.”

  Now we were looking each other in the eye and he took my extended hand and sealed our compact.

  ΔΔΔ

  “We need to get back to Earth as fast as possible but there are a few things we need to do first.”

  I was talking to the group I had assembled in my quarters the next morning. Among others that included Iron Jaw and Captain Garvais (his second in command), Dr. Spencer, Dr. Spelini, and Dr. Decker, Silva, Toni, Semi, and Ashima, Captain Hiromi and of course Julie.

  “Semi, will your people provide us with a ship to head back to Earth?”

  “Of course major.”

  “What kind of ship?”

  Semi started to answer but Silva spoke first. “Major, I think I’ve anticipated your needs here. I’ll be glad to go over all the specs with you but I can tell you that we will be able to protect ourselves from the Noridians and we are prepared to establish much more than just an outpost presence should you invite us to do so. We will be equipped for a long duration stay and, short of giving you a direct technology transfer, we can provide some considerable aid in areas of manufacturing and medicine – with no strings attached.”

  “Is this a change in your policy towards Earth?” a somewhat surprised Dr. Decker asked.

  “It’s not policy per se,” Silva responded. “It’s more a matter of my fellow Coridians deciding to follow my lead on this matter.”

  “So you’re in charge of the Coridian mission now?” I asked.

  “In our own way yes major, you could say that,” Silva responded while strongly holding eye contact.

  I later learned that Silva had done a little more than just anticipate some of our needs. Because he had infiltrated our military there were databases on Larga that carried our armament specs and he had used his influence to start printing matériel as soon as we’d arrived.

  Before the Noridians had attacked us on Stiger there were 16 military personnel under my command (including Iron Jaw but not including Silva). Now we were down to 6 shooters, myself and Iron Jaw. Silva was holding strong on not giving us advanced weaponry but he was going all out on providing us what we were used to.

  Currently being printed were ten of the US Special Forces preferred assault rifles; the M4A1 with the SOPMOD (Special Operations Peculiar) Block 3 upgraded Accessory Kits.

  The M4A1 was about as perfect for our needs as you could get; it is a high-tech, multiple-use assault rifle. It fires a high-velocity 5.56mm round that can take on body armor and is effective for both close-in fighting as well as long-range targets. It carries integrated optics and lasers as well as thermal and holographic sighting. It’s effective in both daylight and night an
d can be quickly converted to a grenade launcher or shotgun. It can also be fitted with a suppressor to minimize sound and muzzle flash.

  As a back-up weapon for the shooters and self-defense for everyone else, all team members were being provided with 9mm M11 Sig Sauer P-228s. Smaller than the P-226 and easily concealable, it was a good handgun for both the civilians and military.

  Along with other tactical gear Silva was making sure we’d be well equipped.

  All of this would take a few days to produce but as much of a hurry as we were in I deemed it essential.

  “Julie, what is your best guess as to how the powers that be on Earth received our report?”

  “It’s almost impossible to say,” she responded. “It would largely depend on what messages, if any, that Colonel Memphis has been allowed to send back to Earth and what ‘spin’ they’ve put on the situation. The Noridians have to know that we’ll head home. I’m just surprised that they’re not already there.”

  “I think I can help with that,” Ashima interjected. “We were able to monitor several Noridian ships deployed along the route from Stiger to Earth. If you would have headed straight for Earth instead of coming to Larga you would have been intercepted…”

  “…and destroyed,” Dr. Spencer finished for her.

  Ashima continued, “We think that Jaki was probably confident of preventing your return to Earth and this gave you a small cushion of time, but that cushion is now over and she is certainly on her way there as we speak.”

  “The other advantage you have,” said Silva. “Is that the Noridians don’t know about the Coridian presence on Earth and, although they might wonder, they’re probably underestimating how much cooperation you’re receiving from us. They therefore can’t know that you can get a message to your people and don’t even know for sure that you’re still alive.”

  “They know that their ship didn’t return from Stiger!” Iron Jaw declared.

  “Yes,” Silva responded. “And they have to know it’s been destroyed but they will certainly believe that Coridians did it in response to their aggression. For all they know your entire team was wiped out according to plan.”

  “So,” Julie said. “There’s a good chance that Jaki is probably operating under the assumption that she can still seduce Earth into accepting a protectorship.

  “Semi,” Julie continued. “Those ships that were hoping to intercept us; won’t they just go to Earth and reinforce Jaki? How many ships are we up against?”

  Semi thought for a moment and then responded, “I’d be surprised if it worked out that way. In your culture there would be someone in charge that could order ships around but our culture is different. Those ships responded to a request for immediate help from a Noridian of high stature but once the immediate need has passed they’ll be interested in resuming their own pursuits. Unless Jaki could make a solid case that there was an imminent need for more help she’s probably on her own. I just don’t think there would have been time for her to rally more permanent support.”

  “Major,” Julie said as she suddenly shifted her eyes to me. “We need to get another message to Earth with instruction that when the Noridian’s arrive they are not to inform them that we’re still alive or that they’ve had any contact with us. They need to play along until we get there.”

  “Will they do that? Will they believe us?” Dr. Spelini asked.

  “For now they have no reason not to but once Jaki arrives there’ll be a powerful temptation to not want to believe us. Honestly, without us there I think it will only be a matter of time at that point until the greed sets in and the only thing Earth will see is the magic Noridia has to offer,” Julie concluded.

  “Ok,” I said. “Major Reynolds and I will prepare another message for Earth and then I want a doctor to take a look at him.”

  Before he could protest Semi spoke, “We’ll take care of him major.”

  “Mike, there might not be much we can do for cracked ribs on Earth but I’ve got a feeling these guys are way ahead of us in that department so lend me your thoughts on a message and then go get looked at.”

  Iron Jaw gave me a muttered aye, aye and I turned the meeting over to Dr. Spencer to let him share his strategy. I didn’t like splitting up the team but as he reminded me I had tasked him to come up with a solution. I can’t say that he was convincing that he could accomplish anything but I’d already learned not to underestimate this group.

  Before we adjourned I turned to Silva, “I appreciate your cooperation but I have a question.”

  His look invited me to continue.

  “Does that cooperation extend to providing us with advanced communications gear and the like?”

  “It might,” he responded.

  “We need to talk,” I said with a cold smile.

  ΔΔΔ

  After everyone else had left I’d invited Silva to stay behind and share… breakfast? Lunch? Time was getting away from me so maybe this is what they called brunch; at any rate I wanted a chance to speak with him without the chance of being overheard.

  We spent a lot of time discussing what kinds of devices might come in handy for us and how much of it would be faster to print here on Larga rather than on the ship in route. As much as I didn’t trust anyone that had deceived my country I had to admit he seemed determined to help us and give us anything we needed as long as we didn’t put his dynasty at risk.

  Although he wouldn’t share with me how the technology worked he assured me that our ship would be ‘masked’ and that the Noridians would mistake it for one of their own. Apparently, this was how he planned on getting us onboard their ship with the element of surprise still intact.

  “Won’t they be suspicious and looking out for that kind of deception?” I asked.

  “Why would they?” he responded. “Galactic society has had no need for armies or military strategy for millennia. It was our exposure to Earth and specifically my exposure to your military intelligence organizations that taught us how to be devious. Before that I’m afraid that we were all quite naive.”

  Suddenly Silva grinned. “That’s one advantage that Coridia now has over everyone else in the galaxy – we won’t be surprised by you Earthers.”

  ‘Maybe,’ I thought to myself. He might know us better than most off-worlders but if Silva thought a few years living amongst us could teach him millions of lifetimes of Earther survival lessons he had another thing coming.

  I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth though and he had more good news to share. Although it wouldn’t be ready for training purposes until we were already a few days into our journey, our ship was using nanotechnology to remodel a portion of itself to duplicate the interior layout of the Noridian ship. We’d all spent a lot of time on her but like a luxury cruise liner we’d only been given access to the upper decks; most of the ship had been off-limits to us. Our boarding party would now be able to train on what we believed to be a perfect replica of the floor plan.

  In addition, my concerns about our team being out of practice or in some cases totally unfamiliar with our new assault rifles were laid to rest when I discovered that a portion of our new ship was also being reconfigured as a live fire range. Now even the civilians could get some orientation. I couldn’t imagine a scenario where they’d need that training before we returned them planetside and to the relative safety of Earth, but I liked the idea of being prepared.

  After Silva left I spent a long time just thinking.

  Although military leaders are trained to make decisions on the fly there is a misconception that we’re trained to make quick decisions. We are trained to think through as many possible scenarios as possible so we’ll (hopefully) not be taken by surprise. It’s called ‘Thinking in the Future in Detail.’

  Quick decisions get you killed; applying well thought out decisions quickly can keep you alive.

  Our immediate safety seemed relatively secure and we were at a standstill for a couple of more days while essential matériel was be
ing printed. I had authorized a number of our civilian scientific staff (with military escorts) to go planetside and learn more about the Largans so now seemed as good a time as any to take a little time for myself. As fast as things had been moving and as unique as our circumstances were it was time to do some serious soul searching.

  Julie had focused us all on what was in retrospect the obvious immediate mission, to take over the Noridian ship and remove the immediate threat to Earth. But then what?

  We would do our best to convince the powers that be on Earth that the Noridians were a major threat and that our actions against them had been necessary, but I’d been around long enough to know that there would inevitably be a faction that opposed us and vilified my command.

  I was fairly confident that we would be exonerated of any wrongdoing simply because the Coridians were willing to come out into the open. I’m sure they still harbored some hope that we would want to accept their offer to make Earth a protectorship so they had every motive to support us against Noridia.