by P. T. Hylton
She reached Fleming’s office and the secretary immediately ushered her in. Alex was surprised to find the office alive with activity. Two sets of cameras were pointed at his desk. Fleming stood behind the desk, and a young woman was applying powder to his face.
Fleming’s eyes lit up when he saw Alex. “Ah, Captain Goddard!”
“Hi. What’s all this?”
Fleming let out an embarrassed chuckle. “I’m so sorry, but my secretary double-booked me. I have to give a very brief address. Do you mind hanging out for fifteen minutes or so? Then we can talk.”
“Uh, sure.” She looked around the crowded room, wondering where she’d even sit. “Do you want me to wait outside?”
“Don’t be silly. Actually, would you mind terribly being here for it?” He waved her over.
Before she knew what was happening, she was standing next to him, and the short woman was patting powder on her face.
“Fleming,” she said, “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this.”
He waved his hand dismissively. “Nonsense. It’ll only take a moment.”
The makeup woman slipped away, and the cameraman said, “We’re live in five, four, three…”
A brilliant smile appeared on Fleming’s face and exactly two seconds later, he started speaking. “Good afternoon, New Haven. As director of the city, I’ve had the opportunity to address you many times, but I’ve never been more excited to do so than I am this morning. And I’m delighted to be standing next to New Haven’s favorite daughter, Captain Alex Goddard of the Ground Mission Team.”
Alex smiled dumbly, her gaze frozen on the intimidating black eye of the camera in front of them. A heavy ball of worry was growing in her stomach as she realized she’d been duped by Fleming yet again.
“Captain Goddard returned only yesterday from another successful mission. Her team brought back components that will allow us to step up our efforts to defend our new settlement on the surface. Her team has been to the settlement a number of times and they are working hand-in-hand with Captain Garrett Eldred to ensure it is safe and secure.”
Alex went cold as she realized Fleming’s game. By standing beside him, she was implicitly giving her support and agreement to every word he said. And yet, she couldn’t force herself to run, to argue, or to even speak. That camera lens held her frozen.
“Captain Goddard is one of the true heroes who is going to help humanity to reclaim the Earth. That’s why I wanted her to be here today for two important announcements. First, I’d like to make public a name we’ve been using internally for some time now. As you know, Councilman Sterns was a true patriot who lived for the betterment of our great city. Since his tragic death, I’ve missed him every day. We certainly clashed in the council room a time or two, but I know he would have given anything to see the safe Resettlement of Earth. That’s why we’ve decided to call the first human settlement on Earth in one hundred and fifty years Fort Sterns.”
He paused for a moment, apparently overcome with emotion.
“It’s a fitting tribute to a great leader and it ensures his legacy will live on long after we’re all gone.”
Alex wanted to throw up. She’d heard Firefly using the name Fort Sterns for weeks now, but she finally understood its significance. It wasn’t a tribute to Sterns; it was the ultimate indignity for a man who had vehemently opposed Resettlement. Now his name would forever be linked with it.
Fleming put an arm around Alex’s shoulders. “The second announcement is just as exciting, and it’s the reason I wanted Captain Goddard to be here today. Our director of engineering has just informed me our transport ship is ready for use. That means we can double our efforts to prepare Fort Sterns for its eventual residents. In fact, Captain Goddard and Captain Eldred will be leading a joint force of GMT and Resettlement troops down there tomorrow to begin final preparations.”
Alex clenched her fists in anger. Another mission tomorrow? And one that had been announced to the whole city? And still she couldn’t object. If she caused a scene now, she’d certainly lose her job. Maybe that was even what Fleming was hoping for. She couldn’t let that happen. She still believed there was a chance she could win Firefly over to her way of thinking. And if that happened, Fleming was done.
“It won’t be long now,” Fleming proclaimed as he beamed at the cameras. “Soon you will be setting foot on the Earth. Soon your children will be running through the grass and swimming in the waters. And someday, your grandchildren will ask you what it was like, and you’ll see the envy in their eyes as they hear your stories. Then they’ll tell you how lucky you were to be alive at that moment and to be part of Resettlement. Stay strong, my friends. It is an exciting time. Victory is in sight.”
“We’re clear,” the cameraman said, and Alex felt all her muscles loosen.
Fleming grabbed her hand and pumped it in a shake. “Thank you, Alex. You did well. Ever consider a future in politics?”
Before she could comprehend, let alone answer that ridiculous question, Fleming’s secretary stuck her head through the doorway. “Mr. Fleming, I’m sorry, but you have an urgent call from agriculture.”
Fleming sighed. “All right, thank you. Alex, I’m so sorry, but we’ll have to postpone our conversation. Duty calls.”
Before she knew it, Alex was being ushered out of the office.
It wasn’t until she was walking out of the Hub that the anger truly washed over her. She’d just been used to advance Fleming’s agenda, and it made her furious.
She wished she could face Fleming on the fighting mat. Then he’d know how it felt to be as powerless and outmatched as she did every time he took her on in the political arena.
“There she is,” Jessica said with a smile. “Fleming’s best buddy.”
Alex grimaced. “Ugh, don’t remind me.”
Jessica, Brian, Owl, and CB were gathered in the GMT hangar so Jessica could show them the transport ship. Alex was the last to arrive.
“I should have been in that meeting,” CB growled.
“You’re right,” Alex said immediately. “I apologize.”
“We can’t keep underestimating Fleming. We have to be smarter than that.”
“Give her a break, CB,” Jessica said. “He just did to her what he’s been doing to all of us for months.”
“Enough of that,” Owl said. “Can we see the ship now?”
There were three ships in the hangar: the away ship, a new backup away ship that was still being built, and the brand-new transport.
Jessica led them aboard the transport and gave them the grand tour. They started in the large cargo hold that had been outfitted with rows and rows of seats. Then she showed them the large cockpit. “As you can see, it’s simple, but it’ll do its job.”
“What’s the capacity?” CB asked.
“A hundred passengers. Plus three crew.”
Owl whistled. “That’s incredible.”
“I can’t believe how fast you put this together,” CB said.
Jessica nodded. “Me neither. But we weren’t given the option of more time. Besides, the resources Fleming threw at this thing made it possible. The ventilation systems in the agriculture sector are a little less stable without the parts we stripped, and the coolant towers are missing their redundant electrical fail-safes, but the ship’s done. Now Fleming’s on us to finish the backup away ship. He says we can’t risk Resettlement falling behind schedule if there’s a problem with the main ship.”
CB shook his head. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
“What’s that?” Jessica asked.
“How fickle people are. The entire city is eating out of Fleming’s hand. Probably even more so after that little speech this morning.” He shot a look at Alex.
“So honestly, between us,” Jessica said, “is there any way Resettlement could work? I’ve seen the layout of the prison, and with all the enhancements we’re adding, it seems solid.”
CB turned to her, a sad look in his eyes. He put a han
d on her shoulder. “I want to believe it could. I really do. There’s nothing I’d like more in the world than to be wrong about Resettlement. But anyone we send down there will not survive the night.”
Alex took one last look around the ship. Seeing this vessel made the impending Resettlement even more real.
It was happening. And tomorrow she’d help it take one more step toward becoming reality.
19
The away ship was quiet as they traveled to the newly dubbed Fort Sterns the following day. It felt strangely empty without Firefly and his handful of overeager recruits. The Resettlers, as they were now calling themselves, were flying in the new transport, so the GMT had their away ship all to themselves.
“I still can’t believe we didn’t get to ride in the new ship,” Patrick grumbled.
“This is the first test of the transport,” Alex said. “If that thing breaks down, you’ll be glad we have old faithful here. Besides, don’t talk about the other ship like that. Owl gets a little… protective.”
She glanced out the window and caught sight of the large transport ship in the distance behind them. As much as she didn’t like bringing a group of Firefly’s recruits along, she was even more against them flying on their own ship with no time to build a little comradery before the mission. Besides, every moment with Firefly was another chance to wear him down a little more, to make him more open to her way of thinking. As badly as her dinner had gone with him a couple weeks ago, they’d actually built some rapport during their recent missions together.
She tore her gaze away from the window and moved it to the man sitting next to her. “How you doing?”
“Not bad,” Chuck answered. “Actually, I’ve been working really hard, trying to improve as a GMT member, you know? I’ve been meaning to ask how you think I’m doing. Where do I need to improve?”
She thought a moment. Chuck’s hard work was showing results. In early missions, he’d been one of the weakest, but he was developing fast. In truth, there were a dozen areas he could improve, but now wasn’t the time to bring them up. They hadn’t been to the prison in a week, and if past experience was any indication, it would almost certainly be crawling with vampires again by now. This wasn’t the time to shake his confidence.
“Do you mind if I tell you what you’re doing right instead?” she asked.
Chuck nodded.
“There’s things I like about every person on the team. Ed and Patrick are ultra-competitive and fearless. Wesley’s dependable and always puts his teammates ahead of himself. Owl’s a genius when it comes to technical stuff. What I like about you is that you’re cautious.”
“Huh. That doesn’t exactly sound like a compliment.”
“It might not sound like, but it is. Look, people think the GMT is all about badass heroics and charging into vampire nests without hesitation. But it’s actually much more about being smart. The best GMT members understand that instinctively. CB got it. Simmons got it. You get it too.”
“Damn, Captain, that’s quite the compliment.”
“I don’t give it lightly. Here’s an example. About a year back, we had this mission to retrieve these rare electrical components in the old country of South Africa. Owl set us down, and the building looked perfect. The ceiling had caved in, so the whole place was covered in sunlight. All we had to do was walk in and get the parts. CB took one look at the place and called off the mission.”
“What? Why?” Chuck asked.
The others were listening too now, drawn in by her story.
Alex shrugged. “I don’t know. He told us it didn’t feel right. So we left. I bitched and moaned about it, of course, because back then I bitched and moaned about everything. But the veterans on the team didn’t. They trusted CB so much that they didn’t even question the decision. And General Craig trusted CB enough that he backed him up when Councilman Stern threw a fit about the GMT abandoning a mission.”
“Heh,” Ed laughed. “I would have liked to have seen that.”
She looked around at her team. “That’s what makes a great GMT team. You’ve got to trust your instincts and each other enough that you’re willing to walk away from a job just because it doesn’t feel right.”
For the first time in the flight, Wesley spoke. “Then how do you explain Resettlement? It hasn’t felt right from the jump.”
To that, Alex had no answer.
The ships landed in the prison yard. The large open space felt much smaller with the huge transport ship parked in the middle of it. Firefly’s crew ran out of the cargo door. He’d brought six engineers with him today. The GMT would be in charge of safety while Firefly’s crew wired up the daylights.
“How’s the new ride, Captain Eldred?” Alex asked.
“Smooth as New Haven,” Firefly answered with a smile. “Where do you want to start?”
Alex gestured toward cellblock one. “I figure that’s as good a place as any. Think we’ll get more than one building done today?”
“Fleming wants us to shoot for five.”
Alex frowned. She didn’t give a rat’s ass what Fleming wanted. And there was no way she was going to put the safety of her people on the line for his pushy demands. But she wasn’t about to say that. “We’ll see what we can do.”
The engineers hauled a large generator out of the transport ship and set it near the door to Building One. As soon as they turned it on and it rumbled to life, a series of angry howls came from various buildings around them.
“Ah, there it is,” Patrick said. “It’s good to be back.”
The engineers then brought out Brian’s latest design—omnidirectional daylights. The lights were mounted on eight-foot stands and shone a thirty-foot circle of light three hundred and sixty degrees around it. An engineer plugged one of the lights into the generator with a long extension cord and it immediately lit up.
“And we’re off,” Firefly said.
“Ed,” Alex called. “You want to do the honors?”
“Hell yes, I do,” he said. He shot his brother a gloating look.
“Lucky,” Patrick muttered.
“Chuck, Wesley, stick close to Ed,” Alex ordered.
Ed picked up the daylight by the stand and carried it to the door of Building One, Chuck and Wesley at his side with weapons drawn. He lowered the light, angling it through the doorway. As he made his way down the entry corridor and past the first security checkpoint, a vampire shrieked.
“Looks like we’re in business, Captain,” Ed called from inside. “You should have seen the way this vampire started smoking before it ran off.”
Firefly grinned. “What are we waiting for? Plug in another light.”
“I’m suddenly very attracted to Brian McElroy,” Owl said as she set up the second daylight in the central room of cellblock one.
“Same here,” Patrick agreed.
Now that they had two daylights set up, most of the common area was bathed in artificial sunlight. They’d seen half a dozen vampires scurry either to the basement or into one of the cells when the daylights were brought in. It was testament to their faith in the lights that the entire GMT was comfortable inside the building with the creatures present. Alex had made the engineers wait outside and told them she’d get them when the building was clear.
Chuck scratched at his chin. “I noticed these daylights don’t kill the vampires; they just hurt them.”
Owl nodded. “The way I understand it, the light is more diffused. It would kill a vampire if it were dumb enough to stand in the light for a minute or two. But the purpose of these things is to act as a deterrent. They’re not meant to be fatal.”
Ed held up his rifle and grinned. “Good thing we are.”
Wesley and Alex finished setting up the third light, positioning it for maximum coverage. Once that was finished, the team began the dangerous work of clearing out the vampires cowering in the shadows.
“They’re going to be desperate,” Alex reminded them, “and they’ll probably be angry.”
“No different than usual then?” Wesley asked.
The team spent the next hour sweeping through Building One. Alex’s prediction was right—the vampires behaved even more erratically than usual. Some even moved a few inches into the light to try to nip at the humans.
But the vampires were also cornered, which made them easy targets. Since the walkways outside the cells were safely in the light, the team members could shoot the vampires huddled in the cells without risking being attacked.
In less than an hour they’d cleared out the two above-ground levels. Then they dragged a daylight into the basement and spent fifteen minutes clearing that. All told, they killed fifteen vampires in Building One.
“Yo, Firefly!” Alex called out the doorway. “We’re ready for your brainiacs.”
He frowned. “It’s about time. And I don’t like being called that name, remember?”
Alex grimaced. She’d been making an effort to use his real name, but she still slipped up sometimes. It bugged her that he was so ashamed of his old nickname. It was as if he were trying to deny his time with the GMT ever happened.
Firefly’s six engineers hauled their equipment into Building One and went to work while the GMT stood guard. By midday, they had a generator tied into the old electrical system, a battery backup, and every inch of the building covered in artificial daylight.
“Hot damn,” Firefly said. “I think we have our first livable space.”
Alex suppressed the urge to disagree. Instead, she said, “All right, then let’s move on to Building Two.”
The second building went much like the first, with the GMT setting up omnidirectional daylights in the central area to send the vampires running, then hunting them down and killing them. The difference this time was that Alex hung back a little. Her team was good enough that she didn’t need to micromanage the operation. Instead, she observed while her team did their thing.
Ed and Patrick were as gung-ho and over-the-top excited as ever, keeping count of their kills and bragging about the accuracy of their shots. Wesley was his usual laid-back self. Chuck was slower but more methodical. He also kept a close eye on his teammates. For not the first time, Alex saw that he had leadership potential.