Star Crusades Nexus: The Second Trilogy

by Michael G. Thomas

  "You're close," said a stern voice.

  Spartan looked down to see a captain in the same uniform as the other men. He looked at Spartan with unflinching eyes and no glimmer of a smile. Spartan had met so many men and women like him, and they always left him feeling a little cold. Of all officers, these were the type to send you on those missions with little chance of coming home. It was his words that surprised him most. There was something familiar about them, but he couldn’t put a finger on it. Was it a region he had visited or was it somebody he knew?

  Marcus, yeah, it has to be.

  The accent was definitely similar to that of his old friend Marcus. The tall warrior had trained alongside him and been a good friend when he’d been a lowly grunt in the Corps. It was a long time since he’d given any thought to Marcus, and it took a moment for him to even remember what he looked like. As the image darted behind his eyes, he felt a pang of guilt at having forgotten him for so long. It made him wonder who else he’d pushed away over the years. Luckily, the officer continued to speak in that cold, dispassionate tone.

  He's a hard one.

  "This is indeed part of Europe, but you are on one large island, what used to be called the United Kingdom. This is one of the few remaining military bases that survived the exodus. Originally, it was all above ground; now ninety-five percent of the base is below the surface."

  Spartan let out a slow breath but said nothing. He'd come across similar places on other worlds before. It was common to build habitation facilities deep underground on worlds that were prone to orbital bombardment. It was the structures on the surface that made the place stand out, and he couldn’t quite put a finger on it. The officer saw his confusion and mistook it for his knowledge of the planet itself.

  "In the nineteenth century, back when military might was based around wooden sailing ships and gunpowder weapons, this island was at its peak. Yes, there were other empires, but the United Kingdom ruled the largest empire ever seen on Earth. Its ships traveled the oceans, and its language and technology traveled with it. The language we now speak comes directly from them."

  "English?" asked Spartan, now even more confused.

  The man bared his teeth a little, and Spartan could only assume he was trying to smile. It reminded him of when Gun had tried to do the same soon after they'd met. Back then, his command of language had been worse than a child's.

  "English, yes, the name of the people that inhabited the largest part of this United Kingdom.

  "What happened to them?"

  The man lifted his eyebrows and shrugged.

  "Nothing much different to the rest of this planet. When Earth became almost sterile, so did its people. The population fell, and those that could, left with everything they owned. All that remains now are the underground cities and military sites. There are no countries anymore, and the surface is littered with the remains of civilization spanning thousands of years.”

  Spartan started to move, but the man shook his head and nodded in the direction of the glass to one side of the dome.

  “That is south. You’ll see the debris in the indentation ahead, which was an old road system from ground cars. What can you see beyond that?”

  Spartan didn’t like playing these games, but a twinge in his leg encouraged him to stay in the dome section for a little longer. The road was difficult to identify, being as it was the same featureless color and covered in a thick layer of tough weeds and plants.

  How the hell does anything grow anymore?

  “Can you see it yet?”

  Spartan shrugged. There was nothing of note outside of the military base. He scanned the horizon but saw nothing other than a slight indulation. There was something between the road and the horizon though; an odd shape and it forced him to squint before stopping.

  “Wait, there is something out there. It looks like a rock wall?”

  The man nodded as if pleased by his find. Spartan was not amused though and moved down from the observation dome that extended from underground to provide a few of the dead surface. As he did so, he wondered quite why anybody living on Earth would ever want to see the surface again. He’d seen prettier places on the fiery world of Prometheus, after all.

  And now these fools think they can manage out here, and on their own.

  Khan and Lieutenant Jenkins waited patiently for him as he reached the lowest rung of the ladder. It took him longer than it should have, but that was understandable due to his missing limb and painful muscles. He landed next to the officer and winced as a burst of pain rushed up his leg.

  “So, what about that place?”

  The man looked back into the tunnel and then to Spartan.

  “It is the remains of an ancient city wall, one that was built in the fifth century.”

  Spartan knew he should have been impressed, but he wasn’t. A broken wall, and thousands of years old on a sterile world, meant little to him.

  Perhaps for archaeologists or historians, but not for me.

  All he’d seen was a modest structure to position several heavy weapons or a foundation for a fortification of some kind. He looked at the man and wondered what would have persuaded such a man to join Earthsec. It wasn’t an organization he’d known a huge amount of, although his company had dealings with them prior to his disappearance. His gut instinct told him they were ultra-conservative and jealously guarded access to their own domain. Technically, they were Alliance, but none of them seemed to believe it.

  "Your voice, it sounds like somebody I knew. He was from a colony of Earth settlers."

  "We are all of Earth, my friends.”

  Spartan exhaled slowly, particularly unimpressed at this comment.

  “Really? I didn’t know that.”

  Khan chuckled in amusement, the sound rumbling in the underground room.

  The man looked away from Spartan but kept one eye on him as though assessing him.

  “You’re from where exactly, Spartan?”

  Spartan smiled and pointed up.

  “From up there.”

  The man didn’t seem amused at that, something that greatly amused Spartan.

  “Your file is interesting, but it lacks a certain detail prior to an incident on Prometheus. Everything before that has been redacted, why?”

  Spartan looked at him, took in a short breath, and then changed the subject.

  “Your voice. Tell me about it.”

  “You mean accent?” answered the officer.

  Spartan just nodded, but he could feel an anger building inside him. This man felt his was superior in every way, yet he lived on a derelict wasteland. Earth was death and disease, a planet that had been abandoned for good reason. The man seemed unaffected by Spartan’s manners.

  “In the past, my people were from Northern Germany, part of Europe."

  He pointed to the dome at the top of the ladder.

  "Like this place, it is no longer a country, just another wasteland with a few isolated underground settlements."

  One of the men walked away and disappeared into one of the many passages that seemed to spring up in every direction underneath the military base. The lighting was far more sedate than expected, and it was beginning to hurt Spartan’s head as he strained his eyes. That combined with the aching in his body made him feel ancient.

  Man, you’re not in good shape, are you?

  Khan seemed to be thinking the same as he raised one of his large eyebrows and laughed. Lieutenant Jenkins was unsure as to what was going on. The banter between the two was something that was inaccessible to anybody else, even though he had spent time sweating and possibly bleeding alongside Spartan back in the War.

  “Spartan, you’re looking old.”

  He dropped down next to the massive warrior and punched him right in the stomach. There was little visible effect on the warrior, but it did stop the laughter.

  “Maybe. I can still kick your ass though.”

  Khan looked to him and wondered if that were true. It was a thought t
hat seemed to consume him and push out all other thoughts. More importantly, the idea of a fight with Spartan seemed to brighten his usually dour expression.

  “What are you so pleased about?” Spartan asked.

  Khan smirked.

  “Just daydreaming.”

  The officer tapped his temple and spoke quietly, looking at Spartan.

  “The Governor will see you now.”

  He bowed just a little and indicated to his left, into a darker one of the many passageways.

  “About damned time,” grumbled Khan.

  Spartan moved on, and Khan followed right behind. The route took only a brief moment, but he counted six more guards before they reached the surprisingly small door. Spartan approached but found his way blocked by the final two guards. One turned to face him, purposely putting himself in the way.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” he said sarcastically.

  Spartan had done his best to hide his impatience and irritation at these so-called officers. He didn’t bother to stop and simply smashed his knee into the man’s stomach. The impact was short and savage and sent the man to the ground. Spartan pulled on the handle and walked inside. The second guard tried to make a show of stopping him, but Khan was next. The massive figure of the warrior instantly encouraged the man to stand aside, which he sensibly did.

  “Smart choice,” Khan said.

  Once inside, the door slid shut and cut them off from the corridor. The room was spacious. Spartan was confused but only for a moment. The room was easily the size of a training hall yet contained nothing but a large stainless steel desk. The walls were filled with cavernous windows that looked out onto the wasteland of Earth.

  “Spartan, and Khan I presume?” asked the man seated behind the desk.

  Spartan nodded, but Khan did nothing.

  “Thank you for coming down to meet me. I am Governor Trelleck.”

  He indicated for them to sit down in the chairs provided, but it was immediately clear that Khan was much too big to use them.

  “I don’t think so,” he muttered at the suggestion.

  “Ah, yes…one of the fabled Jötnar. We have never had one of your kind here before.”

  He moved out from behind his desk and approached Khan. He was tall, gaunt, and almost skeletal in his build. His face was pale, as were all of the inhabitants of Earth that the two had seen so far. His eyes were pale blue and his hair short and gray. Spartan looked at the windows again. They were like those used on armored ships to present video feeds from other places.

  We’re underground, you fool; all of this is just a projection.

  The Governor ignored Spartan and looked directly at Khan’s face.

  “Your people were created on Prometheus, a fire world. That’s where you met Spartan, isn’t it? I wonder how that meeting went?”

  Spartan cleared his throat.

  “The Jötnar were the final creation of the Echidna Union in the War. A spy on Prometheus interrupted their programming and removed the fail-safes.”

  “Indeed. I read the report. You Spartan, were there as well?”

  Spartan nodded.

  “Interesting.”

  The Governor moved around Khan, examining him as he might a new piece of equipment or technology, and Spartan could see his friend getting annoyed.

  “What are you looking for?” he growled.

  “Oh, nothing, I am merely curious. In Sol, all forms of artificial life are treated with suspicion, and your people are famed for your assault on Terra Nova at the end of the War.”

  Khan spat on the floor.

  “My people fought under the command of General Rivers and Admiral Jarvis to liberate your capital.”

  The mention of the word ‘capital’ seemed to raise the heckles of the Governor. Spartan could immediately spot the innate hostility toward the primacy of the Alliance capital, and it amused him greatly.

  “Yes, we took back Terra Nova from the Union troops and their commanders.”

  The Governor shook his head as if he’d just heard some tall tale. He looked at the two and smiled a thin, almost cruel smile that looked as genuine as Spartan’s respect for the man.

  “Yes, a rather convoluted tale, as I recall. The Union was under the control of some Artificial Intelligence, buried deep underground on Terra Nova. They were using clones, synthetic warriors, and ship based technology to wage a war of revenge.”

  Spartan said no more and simply nodded in agreement.

  “This is one of the reasons that I have retained as much central control in Sol. Exposure to these unsavory elements had led to all manner of calamities. I suspect this war that ended with Terra Nova was just an attempt by these creatures, the ones you call Biomechs to destabilize our worlds ready for an outright invasion.”

  Again Spartan said nothing and instead spent the time listening. After a long time dealing with situations with just his fists, he was finally starting to understand the idea of using his ears.

  “I plan on keeping Sol out of this, just as we did in the past.”

  “What has this got to do with us?” Khan asked.

  Governor Trelleck rubbed his chin and then moved back to his desk to examine data on his computer system. There was no way to see what was showing on the screen, and when Spartan tried to move to the side, he shuffled a little to block his route.

  “I have a problem, and I need your help.”

  Khan raised his eyebrows at this.

  “Well, problems are our specialty.”

  The Governor pressed a button, and all the windows in the room changed to show a very different surface; this time it a red and rocky, with a grayish black sky.

  “Where is this?” Khan asked.

  Spartan answered before the Governor could respond.

  “It’s Mars.”

  He then turned to the Governor.

  “What about it?”

  “Reports came to me in the last hour to say a series of objects has been found on the surface. My people are sending in a team to investigate, but there is something about the description of what they’ve found that sounds…well…very familiar.”

  Spartan looked to Khan and then again at the man.

  “Familiar?”

  Governor Trelleck turned his display around to face them both. It was a still image that showed a shattered structure with some kind of metal leg partially obscuring the field of view.

  “This is the last image sent to us by the orbiting relay station. Shortly after sending this, it was shut down.”

  Spartan swallowed slowly as he looked at the imagery.

  “Yeah, I’ve seen this before. That’s a Biomech soldier.”

  The Governor looked positively shocked at this.

  “Soldier? How many more can we expect?”

  “Oh, not many. In our experience they are very rare. You’ll never find more than three of them on board a single major warship or station.”

  Governor Trelleck calmed down a little at this piece of information.

  “Ah, and these soldiers, what might they want?”

  Now it was Spartan’s turn to smile.

  “I thought you already knew their plans? In the past, they have captured and secured areas prior to establishing forward bases. They’ve landed at a heavily occupied habitation site with minimal defenses, right?”

  Governor Trelleck nodded, and Khan sighed. He walked to the screen and examined it closely.

  “They will harvest your people, Governor Trelleck. When they are ready, they will turn them on the rest of Mars, then the Moon, and finally here, on Earth.”

  He looked truly staggered at this.

  “But why? We have no quarrel with these machines.”

  Spartan shook his head.

  “They want you out of the picture while they finish the job elsewhere. If you ask me, the Biomechs are on the move and heading to their endgame.”

  Governor Trelleck looked back at the screen and said nothing for several minutes. Spartan and Khan just
waited there until the man looked up at them.

  “I see. Well, in that case it would be useful to have you around. We will be back in contact with the ground station in thirteen hours. I’ve arranged for you both to have guest quarters. I will send for you when I have information.”

  Neither made a move to leave the room.

  “Is there something else?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” Khan muttered, “What about the Spacebridge back to Terra Nova?”

  He left his computer and walked to one of the nearest fake windows. He pointed up to the sky.

  “That is where it used to be, a busy transit point between different parts of our great Alliance.”

  The sarcasm in his voice was bitter and obvious.

  “The last reports from the barge around Mars said that an unknown vessel tried to take control of it the station. We’ve put a lot of time and money into building up the defenses on Mars. My teams deactivated the station and shut down the Rift immediately. In the subsequent battle, the ship was destroyed and the barge heavily damaged, but not before the vessel released several large objects that dropped to the surface of Mars itself.”

  He looked to his right and pointed to more open space on the surface of the Red Planet.

  “That is where one of them came down. Less than an hour later, all communication with the mining base ceased, as well as contact with the dozens of civilian ships docked on the planet.”

  He looked at Spartan and tried to smile at him.

  “I know you have fought these things before, and I suspect I will need your help very soon.”

  He pressed a button, and in walked the guard Spartan had put on the ground. His face tightened at seeing Spartan.

  “Governor Trelleck.”

  Trelleck looked first to Khan and then to Spartan.

  “I suggest you get some rest, perhaps visit one of our biomedical stations and see to that arm.”

  Spartan started to speak, but the man continued.

  “I will not give the order to reopen the Rift until I am satisfied that Mars and the rest of Sol are clear of any contamination. As soon as we make contact with the planetary bases, I will be in touch. In the meantime, you have unrestricted access to this facility, as our guests.”