The Darkness: The Conglomerate Trilogy (Volume 2)

by William S Frisbee Jr

  Mark tilted his head, encouraging the Ambassador to continue.

  "We have reliable intelligence that the leadership of Athena has been suborned by the Caliphate," The Ambassador said. "That invasion fleet would have landed unopposed and enslaved most of the Athena colony. We have good information that these traitorous elements of the Athena leadership have even provided wormhole technology to the Caliphate."

  Mark stared at the Ambassador. It made sense on the surface and Mark scowled. Too much sense. How else could the Caliphate have gotten the technology?

  "It was the Caliphate's intent to conquer Athena and take it to the other side of the wormhole which would give them a base, much closer to Jupiter, where it could launch attacks with impunity," the Ambassador said.

  Sitting back, Mark looked at the ambassador over his steepled fingers. This was bad.

  "Do you know who?" Mark asked. "Any actionable intelligence?"

  "Most of the Athena council, and most likely Allison Perro herself, are agents of the Caliphate," the Ambassador said. "We don't know what they were promised and we aren't sure how extensive the rot is. I suspect that New Alamo is in great danger. They did not give me the detailed information, but I'm sure they have it."

  The ambassador's statement made sense and explained several things that had been bothering Mark. Still, something didn't seem right.

  "Is that why five transports have military police battalions on them?" Mark asked.

  The Ambassador didn't miss a beat and didn't seem surprised that Mark knew.

  "Yes," the Ambassador said. "And an assault regiment in case they were opposed. The Caliphate will destroy the Jupiter Alliance given even half a chance. Under the Caliphate there is no freedom, no equal rights and no future. The Secretary General is working for the common good of all mankind, to keep the Caliphate from gaining a foot hold in the outer worlds and preserve the future of humanity. We have to fight the Caliphate wherever they go or humanity is doomed. It should be obvious that the Jupiter Alliance is the only human organization capable of opposing the religious fanatics."

  "Agreed," Mark said, but that agreement wasn't unconditional.

  "The colony of Athena is a danger to the greater good," the Ambassador continued. "They have betrayed the Jupiter Alliance and we cannot allow that. It would not surprise me if they thought they could attack the Conglomerate and blame it on New Alamo. Their selfishness and greed is endangering us all. How can you not understand that?"

  "What evidence do you have?" Mark asked, discarding Athena's ability to blame something on New Alamo. Sutton was just being a low-life weasel by saying that and Mark lost more respect for the ambassador.

  "I think it should be obvious," the Ambassador said looking surprised. "You are a smart man. Who else besides you and the Athena colony have wormhole technology? How could the Caliphate have gotten wormhole technology and deployed it so quickly? This collusion has obviously been going on for many years."

  "What do you want from New Alamo?" Mark asked.

  "Allow our fleet through the wormhole," the Ambassador said. "Let them accomplish their original mission."

  "What is their original mission?" Mark asked.

  The Ambassador looked uncomfortable.

  "It is the liberation of Athena from Caliphate control," the Ambassador said. "As bloodlessly as possible of course, but the Jupiter Alliance must have the wormhole technology to combat the Caliphate and we must be able to root out the traitors. There are other wormholes in our home system. Once we have control of Athena, and the people are ready, we will implement elections and restore control of the colony to the people."

  'Once the people are ready,' gave Mark pause. He had read enough history and dealt with enough politicians to understand that 'when the people are ready' meant that when they were subservient to the ruling power.

  Having a large Jupiter Alliance military force and forward operating base next door did not sit well with Mark and he doubted the New Alamo Council would be tolerant. What the ambassador said made sense, but there was more to the story than the ambassador was sharing. New Alamo had a small fleet but not enough to defend against the Jupiter Alliance task force if they could maneuver. The ships that Topa Suresh had promised him might tip the balance and Mark doubted the Jupiter Alliance would be stupid enough to pick a fight with the Conglomerate. A few Conglomerate patrol ships would tip the balance in New Alamo's favor, and the ambassador had to know that. But without those ships New Alamo was vulnerable.

  "Can we count on you to do what is best for humanity and our freedom?" the Ambassador asked.

  Mark frowned.

  "I will need to consult with my advisers and the council," Mark said.

  "We don't have time for that," the Ambassador said staring at Mark, unblinking. "Every minute you wait the enemy will grow stronger. We need to act now. I promise you we have no ill will toward New Alamo. I thought as Prime Minister you had the authority and ability to decide on behalf of New Alamo."

  Mark locked eyes with the Ambassador, watching him over his steepled fingers.

  "No," Mark said. "Not until I consult with my advisers."

  Ambassador Sutton shook his head. Did the ambassador expect Mark to operate without consulting them? Odd. This wasn't a dictatorship. What was Sutton used to dealing with?

  "You should have that authority. The Secretary General remembers his friend and his foes," the Ambassador said. "You were not the Prime Minister of New Alamo when it abandoned the rest of humanity to the predations of the Caliphate so you will not be held responsible, but please do not think you have time to consider this. The lives of loyal Jupiter Alliance soldiers are in the balance here. In fact, the fate of the Alliance hangs in the balance. There are other colonies that will seek to make an alliance with the Caliphate and we must appear strong and decisive. Side with us and we will keep you in power for as long as you want."

  Mark nodded, not missing the threat or promise.

  When the ambassador left Luke summoned Admirals Day and Wise. They needed to know sooner rather than later. As an afterthought, he sent them his memory buffers of the meeting.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Council Meeting

  "The Secretary General remembers his friend and his foes. You were not the Prime Minister of New Alamo when it abandoned the rest of the human race to the predations of the Caliphate so you will not be held responsible, but please do not think you have time to consider this. The lives of loyal Jupiter Alliance soldiers are in the balance here. In fact, the fate of the Alliance hangs in the balance. There are other colonies that will seek to make an alliance with the Caliphate and we must appear strong and decisive. Side with us and we will keep you in power for as long as you want."

  The video screen went blank and Mark turned back to look at the rest of the council and the directors of Military Operations and Intelligence.

  "That is a threat if I ever saw one," Councilor King said. She was full of energy and was radiating anger from her small frame. Her blond hair was pulled back in a single pigtail and it looked like she was on the way to the gym in her shorts and sports bra.

  Mark nodded and looked at the faces of the surrounding people.

  "Do you trust him?" Ivan Nelson, the Minister of Defense asked. Ivan was a handsome man with Nordic features wearing only spandex shorts and sporting a buzz cut. Several dazzling gems sparkled in his ears and his finger nails were painted with miniature display screens that flashed between black, red and blue. Mark wasn't sure if he was gay or just liked the appearance, but Ivan had always been professional, making anything else irrelevant.

  "Not even a little," Mark said and looked at the only member that was not an official part of the council, Joel Carlson, the actual founder of New Alamo and the former Prime Minister.

  "You shouldn't," Joel said. He was a tall thin man, wearing a loose, one piece, red jump suit. His red hair was barely short enough to comb and his eyes could pierce a person's soul. His flaming red mustache and goatee g
ave him a diabolical look.

  "It sounds like the Jupiter Alliance wants revenge for us abandoning them," Joel said.

  "That's rich," Tara Wells said, she was an outgoing, beautiful bald black woman in charge of trade and services. "I don't remember them providing us with any protection against Caliphate raiders, they preferred to protect colonies in the Jupiter sphere that had never been threatened."

  Mark looked at Joel. Even though he was no longer the Prime Minister after forty years he was still involved in the Colony Council and trusted by everyone. He had been one of the founders of New Alamo, a rich businessman from Texas who had seen the writing on the wall and built a new home in space, sinking his entire fortune into the colony of New Alamo. While no single person could be said to have built it, he was the heart and soul of New Alamo if there had ever been one. He had left politics decades ago, preferring to fade into the background. These days he preferred to study the Conglomerate and spend time with his twelve children and their families.

  "Avoid the Jupiter Alliance like the plague," Joel said. "Screw the bastards. You can never give them enough to satisfy them. We abandoned them because they abandoned us. They never believed us about the wormholes. When we tried to quit the Jupiter Alliance, they were even more pissed. Even then they had Jupiter Alliance Intelligence try to sabotage the wormhole generator but we found out at the last moment and fixed it. They didn't want us to leave. Like similar organizations throughout Earth they will not survive long if members leave and find another solution. We were the first to leave the Jupiter Alliance and I'm surprised we were the last. The only reason they are still in power is because others are terrified of something they aren't familiar with."

  "Do you think they are correct about Athena?" Mark asked.

  Joel shrugged. "I don't know. Based on what I've heard it make sense. I can't think of any other reason or way for the Caliphate to get their hands on and deploy wormhole technology. Their juggernaut had a wormhole generator which means they must have had big plans, they also have a new class of cruiser with wormhole generators and I find that very disturbing. Something is happening in the Caliphate that makes little sense. Have we asked the Chief Executive of Athena about these accusations?"

  "Should we?" Mark asked. "If they are allied with the Caliphate, we will tip our hand and warn them that a Jupe strike force is coming for them. This might cause them to do something foolish."

  "Seriously?" Admiral Day asked. "You will seriously ask the Athenians if they are in bed with the Caliphate after they fled the Sol system and fought off a major Caliphate invasion? We have decent control of the wormhole to Sol now anyways. We will know if they send any messengers back."

  "They took minimal casualties," Gloria McCoy pointed out. She was the Minister of People, responsible for social welfare and the various social, medical and educational programs. A tall, heavy set woman of English descent. Mark found her annoying, but she was popular.

  "Bullshit," Joel said. "They are all spacers, and spacers are good at following directions, especially when it involves their safety. They just had good safety and security protocols."

  Gloria and Joel glared at each other.

  "We should ask them," Joel said. "That would be the honest thing to do. Let them defend themselves, give them a chance to tell the truth, see if it checks out."

  "And if they are lying, it would warn them and give them time to prepare," Gloria said.

  "Do you trust the Jupiter Alliance?" Joel asked.

  "Can we afford not to?" Gloria fired back.

  "Should we rejoin the Alliance too?" Joel asked. "Sounds like you are foolish enough to trust the Jupiter Alliance. Don't you remember what they were like? Have you forgotten so quickly?"

  "We sure can't trust the Caliphate. The Jupiter Alliance is all that is left of the human race. The only human force capable of fighting the Caliphate. We can't stand alone against the Caliphate. What happens if there is another juggernaut? We don't have Commander Kishi nearby to fly a battle cruiser up the tail pipe. We don't have the firepower to deal with something like that. Like it or not, we need the Jupiter Alliance because now the Caliphate CAN reach us."

  "No," Mark said and everyone's eyes turned to him. "We are members of the Conglomerate. We can make our own choices."

  "This is a human matter," Gloria said. "The Conglomerate won't interfere. We are on our own."

  "They will if New Alamo is attacked or Bizzen is threatened," Mark said.

  "We have yet to see those ships that the Topa promised us," Gloria said. "Until we see those ships, and they have human crews, we can't count on them. Topa retaliation won't do any good if we are already dead."

  Mark couldn't argue that.

  "I may not be a member of this council anymore," Joel said. "But I think Athena should have a chance to defend themselves and their actions. Honesty, integrity and respect are the principles this colony was found upon."

  Joel turned to Mark. "What do you think the Conglomerate policy would be? That is what it boils down to if the truth be told."

  Mark smiled.

  "Non-interference," Mark said. "It isn't a Conglomerate matter."

  Joel nodded. "Exactly and we are the Conglomerate representative, aren't we? Do you think we should interfere?"

  "But the Conglomerate is a serious problem for the human race," Gloria said. "That is us."

  "Yes," Joel said. "But we are responsible for Conglomerate policy in this system. Should we do anything else?"

  "Well. If we act on behalf of the Conglomerate," Mark said. "None of this is our concern unless it endangers the Conglomerate."

  "I think we should discuss this with Athena," Joel said leaning back. "The Topa always talk, or at least try to talk, with both sides before they render a judgment. It is the right thing to do. The Topa use violence only as a last resort."

  Mark nodded and looked around. The other members of the council in agreement.

  "I'll set up a meeting with the Allison Perro," Mark said.

  "Would it make sense to meet with the Ambassador and the Athenian delegation at the same time?" Joel asked.

  It sounded tempting but Mark shook his head.

  "It would be fun to watch them yell and scream at each other, but I don't know how productive it would be," Mark said.

  "Good," Joel said with a confidence Mark didn't feel. "Play the game like the Topa and I bet they will back you up."

  Mark nodded worried he might be betraying the human race. But was it betrayal if humanity survived?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Athenian Council

  "Thank you for coming," Mark said shaking Allison and Admiral Wyatt's hand. "I realize it was extremely short notice."

  Mark motioned toward Admiral Day.

  The two Athenians seemed more curious than nervous.

  "You've met Admiral Day," Mark said. "The senior military officer for the New Alamo Defense Force?"

  Allison and Wyatt nodded.

  "If you will be seated, can I get you anything?" Mark asked as everyone found a chair. There were four chairs in a square so everyone could look at each other.

  Allison and Wyatt shook their head, getting comfortable and pulling out their data pads to take notes or reference information.

  Mark took a seat facing Allison and Day took a seat facing Wyatt.

  Mark sighed. "There is no easy way to say this, but Ambassador Sutton is accusing Athena of making a pact with the Caliphate and giving them wormhole technology."

  "What!?" Wyatt said, about to leap to his feet. "That sniveling coward. Didn't he notice the Caliphate attack Athena? Did he not read our requests for additional protective forces over the last twenty years? That is a lie!"

  Mark held up his hand to calm the Admiral.

  "He made the accusation," Mark said. "And he has a compelling case since only one group rad an interest in wormhole technology. The Caliphate is way beyond the simple experimental phase with wormhole drives, they have warships with wormhole drives
built in. New ships, so this isn't something they stumbled across. If we believed them, we wouldn't be talking to you."

  Admiral Wyatt seemed to calm down as he stared at Mark but everyone could see the tension in his shoulders and slanted eyes. Admiral Wyatt could explode again at any second, but Mark wondered how much was show and how much was real. Wyatt had to be a shrewd, calculating politician to have risen so far. Hotheads didn't last long.

  "The colony of New Alamo is in an interesting position. We are safe from the Jupiter Alliance, and we have the backing of an organization that will not tolerate unprovoked attacks AND an organization that prefers neutrality," Mark said. "I speak for the New Alamo Council when I say we want a peaceful resolution and we want the truth."

  Allison Perro spoke, "I understand your concerns and the ramification of these accusations. I do not know how the Caliphate got wormhole technology and I cannot rule out Caliphate sympathizers among the population of Athena. We have kept our research into wormhole technology a guarded secret but no system is perfect. I can only speak for myself, but I have heard no sympathy or desire to co-exist with the Caliphate in the Athenian council or Parliament. I firmly believe these lies and accusations are designed to prevent an Athenian and New Alamo alliance and an attempt by the Jupiter Alliance to gain access to wormhole technology. The Jupiter Alliance would benefit greatly by annexing and controlling Athena and I guarantee that if Athena is conquered, then New Alamo will be next. The rhetoric of the Jupiter Alliance is all about unity and keeping humanity safe. It is a rhetoric inspired by the Jupiter Socialist Party. Like any socialist organization, it cannot tolerate any dissent if the Socialists are to maintain control."

  Mark nodded, he had his suspicions, but where else did the Caliphate get wormhole technology from?

  "How did the Caliphate get wormhole technology and why are they equipping their forces with this technology? Even Athena doesn't seem as prolific with the technology," Admiral Day said.