by Doug Farren
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===== December, 2066 (Terran calendar) =====
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“Three UAN heavy cruisers are breaking orbit,” the petty officer at the primary tactical station announced. This was not an unusual event. Over the last few months many of the UAN and Chinese warships had left Earth orbit presumably because they had been assigned as escorts for civilian ships. Tension between the two nations had continued to escalate with increasing incidents of attacks against ships and colonies.
The situation on Earth had also gotten worse. Ground forces from both China and the UAN had engaged each other in several skirmishes. Both sides continued to mobilize their massive military machines. A technical state of war now existed between the two nations. All attempts by the World Council and other nations to defuse the situation had failed.
Admiral Susan Prescott glanced at the situation map—a massive display taking up the entire forward section of the tactical command and control room of Tycho base. Three ships had electronic tags attached to them indicating that they had recently changed their previous course. “Course projection,” she ordered.
Three nearly identical dotted lines appeared on the main display showing the projected course of the three ships. The projection took the ships out of the system, passing by the moon at a distance of ten thousand kilometers. The admiral entered a command into her terminal and a close up of the moon appeared on her screen. Two more commands caused the display to identify the location of all major facilities on the moon.
The admiral’s brow creased as she concentrated for a moment. Glancing once more at the main display she said, “Get me the captain of the ES Minnesota.”
A moment later an indicator started to blink on the admiral’s console. She depressed a button and her monitor switched into communications mode. The face of a middle-aged balding man appeared. “Admiral Prescott—How can I help you?”
Three Chinese ships have broken Earth orbit and are heading in your general direction.”
“Heavy cruisers. We’ve been watching them. They appear to be heading out-system.”
“Appearances can be deceiving. The ships will pass within ten kilos of the moon. Have you checked to see what facilities are on the side of the moon closest to their approach?”
“No ma’am.”
“Do so. In the meantime, move your group closer to the UAN shipyard located near Joliot crater. If the Chinese alter course or make any hostile moves you are to take appropriate action. Questions?”
As the admiral talked, someone on the Minnesota’s bridge had been entering commands into a console. The Minnesota’s captain glanced off to his left for a brief moment then replied, “No questions. Good call admiral. I missed that one.”
“Keep me posted. Tycho base out.”
Captain William Baker punched a command into his console and scanned the details concerning what was known about the Joliot shipyard. As far as EDM intelligence knew it was the largest off-planet shipyard run by the United Arab Nations producing one-quarter of all their military spacecraft. It was well defended with an impressive array of heavy laser installations.
On the far side of the moon, four ships altered their orbits. The Chinese ships maintained course and acceleration as they approached and simply kept going. The crew of the Minnesota monitored their progress as the warships continued on a course which would take them out of the system.
“I guess the admiral was wrong on this one,” remarked the executive officer.
“I don’t know,” the captain replied in a thoughtful tone. He stared at the tactical screen chewing on a toothpick. “It’s damned odd that the Chinese took the course they did. Petty Officer Brown, perform a full scan of the space between the Joliot crater facility and the travel path taken by the Chinese.”
One of the secondary tactical operators acknowledged the order and turned to his console. Less than a minute later he said, “I’m picking up multiple anomalous radiation readings traveling at high speed toward the UAN shipyard. Possible EM-cloaked nukes. Impact in less than two minutes.”
“Son-of-a-bitch!” the captain yelled out as his hand came down on the battle stations button. “Comms, warn the shipyard that they have incoming missiles. Helm, get us within range of those missiles as fast as you can. Weapons, open fire as soon as you have something to shoot at.”
Forty seconds later, space was filled with laser fire and projectiles as the Minnesota battle group and the shipyard’s own defense network attempted to locate and destroy the incoming missiles. The missiles were equipped with sophisticated electronic counter-measures which was making the task very difficult.
An estimated 225 missiles had been launched. Three made it through and impacted close to the shipyard’s shield causing three titanic thermonuclear explosions.
“I estimate the yield to be about one megaton,” the chief tactical officer announced from his station in CIC.
“Damage to the facility?”
“Unknown at this time. It looks like their shield is still up but I have no way of knowing how much of the blast managed to get through.”
“Very well. Communications, get me Admiral Prescott and then try to raise the Joliot shipyard.”
A moment later the connection had been established. “You were right admiral. The Chinese dropped a spread of EM cloaked nukes on their way by. As soon as it became apparent that we had picked up their missiles, they boosted to max acceleration and are now running away under FTL drive. Request permission to pursue.”
“Denied. You are to remain on station. What is the status of the UAN shipyard?”
“Standby one moment please.” The captain turned to his communications operator who said, “I have the shipyard commander on the line sir.”
“Split-screen multi-way,” the captain ordered.
The communications operator made some adjustments and the captain’s screen split into two with the face of the admiral on the left and that of the shipyard commander on the right. Because of the common communications protocols in use, the screens of the others in the circuit had also been similarly adjusted.
“My name is Captain Baker commanding the ES Minnesota. The other person on-line is Admiral Prescott of Tycho base. What is your status? Do you require assistance?”
“Thank you for your timely assistance,” the shipyard commander replied in a lightly accented voice. “We have sustained some damage but we are capable of conducting our own repairs. We do not require any assistance at this time. Now, if you will excuse me, I must get back to my duties.” The image of the UAN commander vanished from the screen.
“Well, at least he thanked us,” Captain Baker remarked.
“Good job captain,” the admiral replied. “Please pass on my thanks to your crew and the crews of the other ships in your group.”
* * * * *
The World President was eating dinner with his family when an aid walked into the room, bent down, and whispered into his ear. “They did WHAT!” he exclaimed so loud he startled his wife.
The President quickly apologized to his family, glanced at his watch, took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then turned his attention to the aid. “Call an emergency meeting of the World Council for twenty-one hundred hours. Make certain that both the UAN and Chinese representatives are present. On your way out tell the guard that I want to finish dinner with my family in peace without any further interruptions.”
Throughout the rest of the rare family dinner the World President's mind was occupied with only one thought. The news he had received changed everything. He couldn't blame the Consortium for nullifying all treaties with Earth; fact is, he had wondered why it had taken them this long to do so.
Two and a half hours later, the ten people making up the central governing council of the World government gathered together around a massive, solid mahogany, oval table. The room was hushed and sounded almost like a church before the service
s began.
Outside the room, the World President gathered his thoughts. He was an Australian and even though his native country supported the actions of the American Alliance he was about to strain that relationship. But, he had been voted into his position and he took it seriously. The World President, at times, must set aside his own nationality in favor of the greater good for all humanity. He took a deep breath to calm himself and placed his hand on the doorknob.
The World President entered the room and took his seat. What little conversation there was immediately came to an end. “I am assuming that everyone here has heard the news and read the report,” the President began. There was a murmur of agreement and a nodding of heads.
“The hostilities between all of our nations must end.” The President glared at the Chinese representative as he continued. “The escalating hostilities between the UAN and the Chinese have resulted in the suspension of our treaties with the Consortium. The use of nuclear weapons against our own people pushed them over the edge. Because of your actions, Earth is now on its own.”
The European Union representative cleared his throat then said, “The EU is in complete agreement with the President concerning this matter. All hostilities between all nations must immediately end. Earth must unite. The barriers between our nations must come down.”
The Chinese representative stood up in anger and pointed his finger at the President. “You talk of unity, yet the American Alliance continues to withhold the advanced technology they have developed. Are they willing to openly share this technology with the world?”
“Look what you have done with the technologies you have now,” the AmAl representative shouted back. “What would you do if...”
“We are trying to preserve our status as an international power!” the Chinese representative interrupted. “Consortium technology does not belong...”
The sound of a gavel interrupted the argument. The World President stood up and glared at the Chinese representative. The look on his face indicated that he was in charge of this meeting. He was an imposing man having grown up in the Australian outback. The Chinese representative set his jaw and took his seat.
“The honorable representative of China has made a valid point,” the President continued. “I was voted into this position in order to represent humanity. I may be an Australian, but when I sit in this chair I am a Human. The violence between our nations must end before we end up starting a global war. We can no longer be Australian or Chinese or Arab. We must become citizens of Earth.
“All nations must agree to open their borders and to allow anyone from any nation, including your own, to come and go as they please.” The Chinese representative seemed about to interrupt but was silenced by a stern look from the President.
“All nations must agree to the unification of their military under the command of the World Council. All nations,” the President emphasized this point by pounding the table with his fist, “must agree to a world wide set of laws by which everyone on Earth is to be governed. If this is not done, we will not survive.”
“Western laws do not recognize the laws of the Koran,” the UAN representative argued. “We will not defile ourselves by setting aside our laws in favor of yours.”
“China will not bow to the will of the United States and its puppets,” the Chinese representative said. “We are a proud people and we will prevail no matter what the challenge.”
The President glared at the AmAl representative who had remained silent throughout the entire exchange. His stare demanded a response. “The American Alliance has always desired world peace. But, given the current state of affairs between the nations of the world we feel that it would be unwise to share our military secrets with anyone else. Perhaps in time...”
“Peace!” the UAN representative shouted. “In the last century you Americans have started more wars in the name of peace than any other nation in history. You would never...”
“ENOUGH!” the World President shouted as the gavel crashed down once again.
The President folded his hands in front of him on the table and stared at them. His jaw muscles tightened and relaxed several times. Without looking up, he said, “This Presidency will no longer sit idle and watch this world tear itself apart. One way or another, this planet will be united.”
The UAN representative shot out of his seat. “Are you threatening us? Because you sit in that chair do you think you can dictate...”
The President looked up and locked eyes with the UAN representative stopping him in his tracks. He calmly and with a tone of utter seriousness replied, “No. I am not threatening the United Arab Nations or any other country. As the World President, however, I am stating for the record that the world will no longer put up with the childish antics of some of its nations.”
The representatives from both the UAN and China started to protest but they were abruptly cut off by the sharp impact of a gavel. The President slammed the gavel down a second time, stood up and announced, “This meeting is adjourned. I have stated my position. We will reconvene in one week at which time I will expect us to begin work on a plan to unify the nations of the Earth under a comprehensive set of laws that apply to all Humans. If the leaders of your respective nations are not willing to agree to this then my job as World President means nothing and I shall resign from my post.”
The President turned and walked out of the room leaving a table full of stunned representatives behind.
* * * * *
Anita and Jay were attending a fund raising banquet out of town when the news of the Consortium decision came to CAIN’s attention. Anita’s cell phone vibrated against her side. She glanced down at it and noticed the red emergency LED was lit. She leaned over toward her husband (who had noticed the emergency indicator) and said, “Something’s up. I’ll be right back.”
They gave each other a quick kiss and Anita excused herself from the table to go find a quiet place to take the call. Jay watched her go then turned his attention back to the speaker. Despite all the technological advances that Earth’s membership in the Consortium had brought, there were still large populations of Humans who were forced to live in extreme poverty. The organization hosting the fund raiser was trying to raise enough money and support to try to improve the quality of life for those who had otherwise been forgotten.
A few minutes after Anita had left Jay’s phone buzzed. When he pulled it from its holder he saw a text message from Anita, ‘Meet me at the front door. We are leaving.’ Jay excused himself from the table sighting a company emergency and headed for the door. Anita was waiting for him outside. Their car had just arrived and the valet was holding the door open for them. Jay waited until Anita had given the driver instructions to take them to the airport before asking, “What’s going on? Why the rush?”
“The Consortium has nullified all treaties with Earth because of the hostilities between China and the UAN.”
Jay was floored. For a moment he couldn’t utter a sound. Anita’s business oriented mind, however, was running at full speed. “You have no idea what sort of predicament this puts us in,” Anita continued over Jay’s stunned silence.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Jay managed to say. Anita’s statement finally registered and he continued, “What do you mean?”
Anita seemed to be in a major rush to do things. She folded the car’s computer terminal down from its storage slot and spoke quickly while it powered up. “Love, you’ve never been very good at understanding big business. We have assets spread out all over the Consortium. Without a legal treaty protecting those assets we are vulnerable. I’ve got to move fast or the whole company could come apart. Talk to CAIN while I get the recovery plan rolling.”
Anita then turned her attention to the waiting computer and began typing in a rapid-fire series of explicit instructions. Jay pulled a headset out of a storage compartment and put it on. After entering a few commands into the control panel he was connected to CAIN. “I’m sorry to be the bearer
of bad news,” CAIN said.
Keeping his voice low so as not to disturb Anita’s concentration Jay replied, “What’s got Anita so worried? How can the company be in danger?”
“With no treaty between Earth and any of the other Consortium worlds there is no longer anything protecting Humans or Human property outside of Human space.”
Wait a minute,” Jay replied shaking his head in disbelief. “Perhaps you should explain to me the ramifications of the termination of the Consortium treaties.”
“The other members of the Consortium have unanimously agreed to nullify all treaties with Earth based upon the determination that Earth is no longer acting as a unified planet. They have given us one week to pull all armed ships out of Consortium space. Unarmed civilian ships will still be allowed to travel to and from Consortium worlds but only at the discretion of each planetary government and only after being subjected to a detailed scan. Consortium ships are no longer required to respond to Human ships in distress.
“More importantly, Humans no longer fall under the protection of Consortium law. What this means for Anita is that if someone decides to forcibly take over control of an AST facility on a Consortium planet there is nothing that can be done about it. Consortium law does provide minimal protection of non-Consortium races on Consortium planets but such protection is limited to acts of violence against such people.”
“This is unbelievable! You can’t seriously think that just because we no longer have a treaty with the Consortium that people are going to start breaking into our factories and offices on other worlds. They are more civilized than that.”
“I am in agreement with you Jay,” the machine replied. “But, the fact of the matter is that the possibility exists. The company has prepared an emergency plan for just this possibility. Anita is activating that plan as we speak.”
“And what does this plan entail?”
“Our company has a good reputation on most worlds and for the most part our people and assets should be fine. As a precautionary measure, we will be evacuating as many people as possible from Consortium worlds. Some offices will be closed and abandoned. The registered ownership of factories and other large assets are being transferred to non-Humans with whom we have established a firm relationship. Once these assets are transferred, they will once again be protected under Consortium law.”