"What is this place?"
"We're the resistance. There are other bunkers like this. At least that's the speculation."
"You can't resist. They'll punish others."
"We won't be resisting anytime soon, Mr. Gruberg. For now we just watch, listen, and plan. You familiar with the DDI?"
"I was... am."
"You're currently our guest. Now get some rest. You'll be having surgery on that shoulder tomorrow, and I'm told several more on that hand. You're lucky the man who found you iced the hand while bringing you in. Now quiet. No more talking. Get some rest."
A week passed, with the Frizoid ensuring there would be no further attacks before sending the first ships to the ground. The training camps that had housed so many before would be reopened. During the registration process, citizens would be screened to find the most capable of military duty. The camps were slated to begin operations at the beginning of the third week.
Harris awoke in the morning after a twelve hour surgery.
A doctor was standing over his bed. "Mr. Gruberg, welcome back. I'm Doctor Fradly. How are we feeling this morning?"
Harris glanced at the monstrous apparatus that held his shoulder in place. "Can't say I'm doing well. You've got me all pinned together."
"Yes. It was a complex surgery, but I'd like to say I think you'll come out of this in good shape. The muscles and nerves were all intact. Mainly shattered bone we had to deal with. How's the hand feeling this morning?"
Harris looked down and slowly lifted his arm. The bandage covered his wrist and lower forearm. His fingers were exposed.
"Sore. Was throbbing before you put me under yesterday."
"Good. The nerves are healing. With luck we may get you as much as 50 percent use back."
"Luck?"
"The cut was almost a tear. The metal beam that took your hand wasn't all that sharp. Parts were, but some not. Anyway, the cleanup was difficult. We've had to battle two infections. There was concern we may have to detach the hand. Luckily that concern has passed and you're well on your way to mending."
"How long will I be confined in this bed?"
"Two more weeks for the shoulder. We can then put you in a mobile apparatus. It won't be comfortable, and you won't be doing any normal activities with that arm for another month or so, but you will be able to walk around."
Harris had the urge to roll to his side. It wasn't going to happen.
"Doc, can I at least get some news feeds in here. I'd like to know what's going on out there."
"Beside your bed is an audio mic. Just give the command to show the display. I can tell you up front you won't like what you're seeing. That will be our burden here I suppose, watching everything from the outside with the inability to effect change or take action, at least in the near term. Anyway, glad to have you with us and healing Mr. Gruberg. Your survival has meant a lot to the people of this bunker."
— Chapter 27 —
* * *
The colonel walked into the room. "Gruberg! They just can’t kill you, can they?"
"Doesn't seem so, Colonel. What are you doing here? I thought you had all gone on to Earth?"
"We all came back. You didn't think we'd be abandoning the fight before it was over did you?"
"We?"
"We're all here. Every Bio came back to defend our people and our freedom. At the moment, we're dispersed between the DDI bunkers. Four hundred of us here in this one. We're working security details for the complex and then being sent out as spies."
"Spies?"
"We still have the battlesuits with the interference emitter. Biomarines will be the information collectors around here for the foreseeable future."
Harris sighed. "So no sign of help from Baxter's friends?"
"Her what?"
"She made it to Alpha Centauri. There are Humans there. They promised help. No sign of them yet? She was expecting them at the same time as her and her fleet."
"Alpha Centauri… interesting. Well, unless they're bringing a massive armada, I don't think they'll be much help. The Frizoid dropped in another forty thousand ships yesterday. Could be her friends saw what they were up against and left. But not to worry, we'll get this all figured out. We always do."
It was another two weeks before Harris was able to get up from his bed. The mobile shoulder restraint was cumbersome, but worth the trouble and the occasional pain that came with movement. It was good to be up and moving about. He joined the colonel in the dining hall for breakfast.
"That doesn't at all look comfortable."
Harris shook his head, being careful not to cause unnecessary movement. "It's like a tiny prison. Docs say it’s healing nicely though."
The colonel took a bite of his food and a swig of beverage before looking up at the reports showing on the display wall. "Not getting any better for us. Recruits for the training camps were required to show up this morning. A million and a half to start with. And get this, there's talk of the bugs beginning a forced breeding program. They want soldiers for their fight with the Burrell and Crissen. Word is they're really ramping up their forces back home as well. Could see a big, sustained push against their enemies for the foreseeable future."
"Not good news for us."
The internal news feed being displayed switched to a nav display.
A voice came over the broadcast: "This is command. A new ship has arrived in our space. Origins unknown. Does not appear to be Frizoid."
A zoomed-in image of the modest-sized vessel appeared. It was covered with antennae and various other protrusions.
The colonel said, "If that's Bax's friend, doesn't look much like an armada, or a weapon for that matter. More like an intel ship."
An image of a Human came over a general comm. "Frizoid attackers, you will release all captives immediately and depart this space. Any attempt to attack this ship will be met with swift justice. Leave in peace now and all transgressions will be forgiven. Resist, and expect retributions against your homeworld."
The Frizoid commander was quick to answer with a scowl. "You expect us to be threatened by a single ship?"
"This ship is all that is required for your complete destruction, Commander. I'm giving you half an hour to board your ships on the surface, and half an hour to get those ships and the rest of your fleet out to free space and away. We will be monitoring those ships with our sensors for signs of Human captives. All Humans are to be left on the surface unharmed. Your hour of grace starts now."
The Frizoid commander's expression turned from one of disbelief in the outrageous demand to one of anger. A dozen Frizoid cruisers began moving in the direction of the odd ship.
The Human image sighed. "Unfortunate move, Commander."
An instant later, the Frizoid warships began to splinter and break apart. Internal explosions sent their debris in every direction.
The commander's expression of anger turned to one of rage. A group of five hundred cruisers raced forward. As Harris and the colonel watched in awe, the same fate befell the five hundred as had been bestowed on the dozen. All at once, the ships seemed to shatter in slow motion.
The Frizoid commander banged his fist and yelled. "All ships, attack! We will overwhelm them with numbers!"
Fifty-five thousand Frizoid warships moved forward in unison, the command ship moving with them. Again, Harris and the colonel, as well as the remaining Humans on Domicile who were watching, were witness to the complete and utter destruction of the enemy. Groups of five thousand ships at a time began to shatter and explode. One group after another followed suit until the final group, the command group, burst into millions of pieces, except for the command ship itself.
A stunned Frizoid commander called a halt to his now single-ship attack. "How? How is this possible?"
"Commander, I am Captain Roderick Gastone of the Alpha Centauri Command Force. I'm giving you one final opportunity to leave. Order your ships on the ground to release all Humans, unharmed, and you and those ships will be allowed
to leave."
Several seconds of silence followed before a shaken commander replied, "We are leaving."
Harris stood. "How is this possible? All those ships in under a minute? What kind of weapon allows that?"
The colonel stood with a grin. "Don't know and don't care. Just happy it's on our side."
The image on the display said, "I request to speak with Baxter Rumford."
The colonel touched his arm pad. A split image appeared on the screen. "I'm Colonel Robert Thomas of the Human resistance forces. I must offer my thanks, Captain. You just liberated us all."
"I must repeat my request to speak with Miss Rumford."
The colonel slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry, Miss Rumford is no longer with us. She died a hero's death almost three weeks ago. It was only a few hours after her arrival. The Frizoid fleet here was too strong."
"Colonel Thomas, I was given your name as an additional contact. Alpha Centauri Command sends our condolences for any lives that have been lost due to our delay. A major component failure of our newly-installed hop-drive system crippled the ship we were sending. We got here as fast as we could."
"Your presence is welcome, and your timing appreciated."
"I, too, am sorry to hear of Miss Rumford's death. I personally only met her briefly, but I can say with certainty there is, or was, no stronger a patriot for humanity. She was willing to turn over all technologies she had for only the promise of support."
"Your technology is impressive, Captain. I should like to hear about it someday. Perhaps when you visit Earth."
"Earth? You are there?"
"We were attempting to flee this space when this attack occurred. We wanted nothing of this war, but the Frizoid felt a need to dominate us, to use us."
"We were told the story by Miss Rumford. I am told there is another species who call themselves the Burrell, and that they are the ones responsible for us having to leave Earth to begin with."
"It's true, Captain. They have been attempting to dominate us as well."
"I look forward to our cooperative efforts to rid the galaxy of the enemies of mankind, Colonel."
The colonel grinned. "Now you're talking my language, Captain. I can see us becoming fast friends."
Harris sat. A tear rolled down his cheek. Was this it? Humanity reunited with its roots? Did they have a weapon that was so powerful no other species would threaten or attempt to bring them harm? Were the wars to dominate mankind finally over?
The colonel grabbed Harris by his good arm. "Whoa there. You're looking a bit unstable."
Harris leaned forward against the edge of the table. "Sorry, Colonel. I know we've been trained to not be overwhelmed by emotion, but I can't seem to stop this feeling.
The colonel chuckled. "Stop it? Embrace it and remember it for what it is. Heck, I'm so excited I'm one pinch away from pooping myself! This is it, Gruberg, all we've ever fought for, all we've ever trained for, the very reason for our being. So go ahead and be overwhelmed. You deserve it. I deserve it. All humanity deserves it!"
The remaining Frizoid ships on the ground departed with their command ship. Word of the utter destruction of fifty-five thousand warships in under a minute would spread through the Frizoid Communion, to the Burrell and the Crissen. There was a new master in the galaxy, and any who would cross them would find themselves shattered and dispersed among the stars.
The Human transports that had been waiting at a distance came in for pick-ups. Instead of immediate moves, citizens on Domicile were asked to wait. Bannis Morgan, Hansel Armstrong, and Robert Thomas, with the assistance of Alpha Centauri Command, would make the remaining moves orderly and safe.
Housing would be finished, food stores would be stocked with supplies and be sustainable. The re-population of animals, insects, fish, and plants would continue, this time at a pace that ensured success. After two thousand years, Human life, as well as all life on mother Earth, was returning.
In the months that followed, Harris continued to improve. Tawn Freely, still in the stasis pod, was flown to the best medical center on Alpha. A team of doctors, some from there and some from Domicile, researched her case and the potential for bringing her back. All precautions would be studied and all reasonable eventualities planned for before any attempt was made to bring her back.
Ninety days to the day she was first brought in, the grand operation was undertaken. In a surgery that had seen no equal, she was removed from the pod, revived, and the damage to her back repaired. The operation went on for seventeen hours before the doctors rested and an unconscious Tawn was wheeled into her room and placed in a bed on her stomach. Harris Gruberg had not left her side.
Three days passed, and Harris stuck by his partner.
The colonel came into the room. "Any change this morning?"
"None. The wounds are showing the initial signs of healing, but they don't know if there was any damage to her brain from blood loss, or even the way she was put under in the stasis chamber. They don't have any experience with the latter, having never seen the device before we brought her in."
The colonel patted Harris on his good shoulder. "She'll pull through. She's a fighter. It's in our DNA. You should go and get some rest. I can stay with her for a while."
Harris offered a smile. "I appreciate the offer, but I have to stick this through."
A voice came from the bed. "Stick what through? What have you two done to me?"
The colonel grinned as Harris rose and then dropped to the floor beside her. "Is that really you?"
Tawn returned a half scowl. "What is wrong with you? This a hospital? And why can't I move? Oh... pain... that's why."
Harris leaned back against the wall. "What a glorious day."
"Doesn't seem all that glorious to me. Would someone tell me what exactly is going on here?"
Harris nodded. The clock was rolled back to the damage the Bangor had taken in the fight, and the damage it had passed to Tawn. He talked of how he had placed her in the stasis pod because no other option was available. She was told of the demise of Idiot and Chicago Port Station.
The story then moved on to the race to get as many last-second Humans off Domicile as possible. Bax had arrived and a great battle was fought on humanities behalf. Several tears were shed by Harris when talking about Baxter Rumford and her sacrifice. For all her scheming, all her betrayals, in the end she gave all she had to protect Human freedom.
He then talked of the promise of help Bax had made, and of his crash on the surface of Domicile and the subsequent rescue. He moved on to a detailed account of the arrival of the Alpha ship and of the absolute destruction and defeat of the Frizoid fleet. He again shed several tears.
The story went on about his convalescence and then about her stunning surgery that had evidently saved her life—all the while with Earth and Alpha Centauri working together to ensure humanity would once again get back on its feet on Earth.
"And that's pretty much it," Harris said. "I can't believe you slept through the whole thing."
Tawn chuckled and winced with the resulting pain. "You have to be making all that up. What really happened? I believe the part about my injury, but the rest? You just trying to cheer me up?"
She glanced around the room. "Colonel, you wouldn't lie to an injured Bio. What really happened?"
"Happened just as he told it. Word for word."
Tawn's inquisitive look turned to one of anger and frustration. "So that's it? You brought me back just so you could rub it my face that I missed it all?"
The colonel leaned in. "If it's any consolation, the Alphas have yet to begin their campaigns against the Frizoid. They're gathering information for study and planning right now."
The light returned to Tawn's eyes. "I might get to see their ship in action? Please tell me that's at least gonna happen."
"Possibly. But don't worry, you have time to heal."
Four months passed before Tawnish Freely was wheeled, by Harris, to the exit for release from the hospita
l.
A shuttle landed. Trish and Gandy came to the doorway to assist her. "Get your hands off me. I'm not an invalid."
She stood and walked aboard, settling in a seat. "And it's good to see you again. What's it been? Three weeks since your last visit? Really makes a person feel appreciated."
Trish scowled. "You put her in stasis for a few months, fix her up, and she comes back as Baxter Rumford."
Tawn chuckled. "OK, I guess I can lay off the phony sarcasm. Where is it you're taking me today?"
"You'll find out in a few minutes. Just be patient."
"I've been a patient for four months. Where are we going?"
"I see you've picked up Mr. Gruberg's sense of humor."
Tawn crossed her arms with a frown for the final minutes of the journey. As the shuttle slowed, she looked out a viewport beside her seat. "What kind of ship is that?"
Gandy smiled. "It's a galactic explorer. It's called the Kingfisher II."
Tawn looked up as goosebumps covered her arms. "What? Is this a joke?"
Trish sat beside her as Garvis steered the shuttle into a docking bay. "No joke. A vote was taken, and Bannis had his engineers design and build it. It's ours. Or yours, more specifically. Outfitted with the latest of everything. Welcome home."
Harris said, "The doctors haven't cleared you to leave yet, but they think in a month or so you could get the go-ahead."
Alex was standing in the docking bay with Farker as the shuttle settled and the hatch opened. "Welcome home, Miss Freely."
Three farks came from Farker.
"And my crew?"
Harris said, "Myself, Trish, Gandy, Sharvie, Alex, and Garvis. And the Alphas made a copy of the archives and installed it. We have a new bot connected to it and wired completely into the ship."
Alex nodded. "She has quad rail cannons, quad lasers, and quad plasma cannons. All on turrets. As well as a new device from the Alphas. It seems their magical weapon grew out of their failures to tame wormholes for travel. Instead of one big stationary portal opening up in front of you, it opens thousands of smaller portals that are all moving. Hit a ship or other target with it and you get the shattering look we saw with the Frizoid at Domicile. Ours is much smaller than the full weapon, but it should be highly effective if we need it."
ARMS For Eternity: (Book 8) Page 25