City of Twilight Part III: The New Dawn (The Vanguard Chronicles Book 3)

by Donald Stephenson III

  “What happened to Lucien?” Christina said.

  “He left,” Alicia said. Christina looked up at the sky, and then ahead at the street where people were moving the opposite direction.

  “James fell somewhere near the capital,” Khaleel said. “I saw him falling as the lights went out in the city.” He stood next to Christina. Next to them were Savannah, Sean Garrett, and William. Several others had joined them, mostly people from the resistance that James had helped. Khaleel and Christina led them as they made their way into Capitol District to find James.

  130

  ​It was easy to find where he’d fallen once they’d reached the capital. There was crater in the concrete that looked to be several yards deep. James was lying in the center with his arms outstretched, his eyes closed. There was a gaping wound on the left side of his chest, one that the xeno was unable to heal. They couldn’t tell if his heart had been stabbed, but he wasn’t breathing. Before anyone could say anything, Christina slid down the crater, rushing to him.

  ​She touched James’s cheek while taking one of his hands. There was no response from him. She shook him a little, but when there was no response, she began to shake him harder. He remained still. She held her face close to his as she cried, her tears falling on his cheeks. Around them were the sounds of people cheering as they left the city. The cheering became so loud that it drowned out the sound of her crying. Slowly the group had formed a circle around the crater, circling James. All of them had grown silent as they bowed their heads. Savannah held Khaleel’s hand, and wiped a tear from her own eye with her other.

  ​Alicia crawled down into the crater to the other side of James. She reached out to both James and Christina. William looked down at them.

  “I tried to protect him,” William said, “but now I can’t see him with my mind’s eye.” Sean stepped next him.

  “This was the final price,” Sean said, “the final cost of our freedom.”

  131

  ​Luke stood with his daughters, outside in the sunlight. He stood quietly as he and his daughters took in their surroundings. The crowd quickly grew around them, people stopping in awe. In one direction, about a mile from the city was a massive forest that led into a mountain range off in the distance. When he looked another way, he saw a massive ship construction plant that was completely automated. There were hundreds of ships, many ready to be taken into space. Space travel. No one had expected this to be their destination.

  The massive crowd that had moved into the open was still speechless. Many people headed to the forest, while others went to explore the factory. There was very little talking, and the quiet was almost too much for him.

  He heard a large amount of movement coming from one of the new entrances to the city. People were moving out of the way as a small group exited the dome. He immediately recognized them. Christina and Alicia were among them, as were Khaleel and Sean.

  Several men came and helped them as they carried the body of James Vanguard over their shoulders. He was still, his eyes closed. His arms at his sides. He had a look of peace on his face. Many in the crowd began to follow them silently. Luke sighed quietly as he saw them.

  ​“Daddy,” his older daughter said, “is that him? Is that the man who saved us?” He smiled at her softly.

  ​“Yes, in more ways than one. James didn’t just free us, he taught us to hope again.”

  ​They watched as the body was taken slowly away, a silent memorial to the Hunter, the Vanguard. The hero of Dirge.

  132

  Christina stood silent for a moment. Remembering it all again made her feel more than a little emotional. She was standing in the darkness of a small room. There was a data screen in front of her, with the images of several vid net broadcasters and politicians on it. They were watching her intently, as were most people in the colonized universe listening to the broadcast.

  “And so,” one of the network hosts said, “you all were free? Just like that?”

  Christina nodded for a moment, and continued the story she had been telling for the last three hours.

  “Yes,” she said, “just like that. Dirge was finally free. Shortly after we left the domed city, we were able to contact the nearest colony. They shared with us a lot of information regarding what had happened in the last fifty years across the universe, including the new technology that had been discovered. They greatest thing to come to us was the subspace drive, which had made stasis sleep chambers obsolete. Space travel that took weeks and sometimes years, became days and hours.

  “Many people left the dome, creating a new city out in the forest. There was a small number of people that stayed in Dirge, and there were a bit more that decided it was too hard to stay on Cirrus. People used the fleet Michael had originally built for war to leave and find their own homes. Most people who wanted to leave the planet had to wait until subspace drives could be installed in the ships. The drives had to also be incorporated into the navigational systems, which took some time.” She paused for a moment.

  ​“What of the Hunter?" another reporter asked.

  ​“James was buried in an unmarked grave, along with everyone else who died in the war. There were some who thought it was better that he died in the end, because some people might have wanted to put him in a leadership role, a position James wouldn’t have wanted. Alicia, his sister, also disappeared not long after the funeral.”

  ​She thought of those who stayed on Cirrus. Luke had helped build a new city along with many others. Khaleel was named as mayor until there was an election, but then he was actually elected. She smiled a little. He and Savannah were now married and expecting their first child.

  ​There was one thing the people had insisted on, and that was the naming of their new city. She grinned a little more as she thought of the name that was suggested, and how it won by a landslide.

  ​“Well,” one of the hosts on the vid net said, “for people who didn’t already know, it became official yesterday. The new colony, which you all have named Jamestown, is being recognized by the Colonial Alliance. This also came in this morning, but James has been officially named a Vanguard. Not just the name from his father and grandfather, but the title as well. It was the least that could be done to honor him.”

  ​“Yes,” Christina said, “when people remember him, I hope they remember all the other people who died to help him.”

  ​“What will you do now,” one of the politicians said, “now that this is all over?”

  ​“Well, I can’t stay in on Cirrus anymore,” she said, it's just too hard. I’m leaving with a small group to live in another colony anonymously.” They asked her a few more questions, but the interview was over shortly. She deactivated the data screen, standing quietly for a moment. There was the sudden sound of crying from a baby behind her, a two month old boy.

  ​“Your son is crying again,” James said as he handed the baby to her, who she took and cradled in her arms.

  ​“He’s your baby, too,” she said as she stared at the boy lovingly. "In fact, he looks almost more like yours than mine. I see so much of you in him. In more ways than one.” She moved her hand to the back of the baby’s neck, where a small infant version of a xeno was extruded slightly. It quivered as she softly moved her fingers over it.

  ​“Hey,” James said, “I didn’t know the xeno would reproduce through me. It’s all right though, because he’ll be even stronger than me. He also won’t have to deal with the personality problem I had.” She looked at James curiously.

  ​“How do you know?”

  ​“Well,” James said, “for one, he and the xeno were born together. They weren’t two developed minds that merged later on in life. Also, I can see him with my mind’s eye and tell that he’s different.”

  ​They walked together quietly, leaving the small room that was the communications room of the ship. They both moved to the small bridge, where Alicia sat in a seat. She was playing some sort of card game on a data screen with William
.

  ​“Is it finished?” William said.

  ​“Yes,” Christina said, “the interview’s over.”

  ​“I wish you could tell them that you’re married,” Alicia said, “it’s so much more fun than what you did tell them. Can I hold Max?”

  ​“Only if you’re careful.” Christina handed the baby slowly to Alicia. Alicia took Max in her arms with a big grin on her face.

  ​“Why do we have to be incognito?” Alicia asked. The word surprised both James and Christina, but they both figured she had gotten from William. William had smiled when he heard the girl say it.

  ​“We already told you,” James said, “it’s to protect you and everyone else. Who knows who would come after me? Someone could have gone after you and Christina just on the suspicion that I’d still be alive.” Alicia nodded quietly. Max had fallen asleep, oblivious to their talking. James put his hand on the boy, watching the child with love. Christina watched him, and embraced him for a moment from behind.

  ​“It was hard to talk about what happened a year ago in that city,” Christina said. "Even though I knew you were alive, it looked like you were dead.” James nodded with a slightly serious look on his face.

  ​“I can slow my heart to almost stopping,” he said, “although if Michael had been a millimeter higher with his sword, I wouldn’t have needed to slow my heart. It would have stopped on its own.” He put his hand on his chest where the scar remained.

  ​“James,” William said, “do you think we’ll ever find out where Michael and Callista came from? I know they were just found in space, but they had to come from somewhere.”

  ​“Maybe, but I’ve got more important things to deal with right now,” James said as he looked over at his son, who was still asleep in Alicia’s arms.

  ​“I’m ready to leave,” Alicia said. She handed Christina the baby, and they all walked to the small bridge of the ship. They sat down in their seats and James activated the main data screen that controlled the ship.

  ​“All right,” he said, “it’s time to find a new home.”

  ​Outside in space, the small ship could be seen orbiting Cirrus. Suddenly its engines flamed to life, and it began to move forward. Then in another instant the subspace drive was activated. There was a slight blip of light that encircled the ship, and it disappeared through an invisible wormhole.

  Epilogue

  Lucien watched as the gray hue dragged across the front window of the ship, occasionally marked by streaks of light. The worm hole that the subspace drive tore into space was narrow and the ship moved quickly through it. He was quiet, marveling at the universe they were passing through as they broke the laws of physics.

  Dante stood behind him, placing an arm on Lucien’s shoulder.

  “Amazing, isn’t it?” Dante said, “the marvels of the universe, and the marvels of technology on top of that.”

  ​“Yeah, I’m just glad we don’t have to sleep in stasis chambers," Lucien said. “It is amazing, though. I thought about the wormhole idea, but never had time to work on it.”

  ​“Well,” Dante said, “you have plenty of time now.” Dante sat down and leaned back with his arms behind his head.

  ​“So what will we do now?”

  ​“Oh, I don’t know," he said as Lucien sat near him, “we’ve managed to lay low this past year on Cirrus. There will always be work for people like us, though. With our skills and talents, we could be mercenaries or something.” Lucien nodded his head, quietly agreeing.

  ​“Do you think we’ll ever see the Vanguards again?”

  ​“The universe is big, but yeah, I think so. I hope, anyway. I’ll bet my life that he’s not dead.”

  ​“I think you hope he’s not.”

  ​“Your right,” Dante said, “this universe is much more interesting with him in it.”

  ​They leaned back in their seats, staring out into space. Soon they would arrive at another colony, and then they would be able to start a new life. A life outside of Dirge.

  The End