by G. P. Hudson
“Did you see that, Jess? He’s alive!” said one of them. “We have to tell mom.”
“He’s hurt,” said the other one. “He needs help.”
“Mom will know what to do.”
“Mister. Can you hear me?” said Jess.
“Yes,” he said, struggling to get the word out.
Jess gasped. “I don’t believe it,” she said to herself. “I’m Jess. This is my sister, Elie. What’s your name?”
While he understood the question, he couldn’t give an answer. Name. What is my name? Who am I? His mind blanked, before a word came to him. “Danny.”
“Hi Danny,” said Jess. “I’m happy to meet you.”
Danny tried to move again, lifting his arm. The two girls jumped back in response. “It’s okay,” he said raggedly. “Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Are you a soldier?” said Elie.
A soldier. That sounded familiar. “I think so.”
“Don’t you know?”
“I’m not sure.”
“You must have hurt your head,” said Jess. “I read that you can forget things if you hurt your head.”
“You might be right,” he said, as he fought to move his arm some more. He suspected that part of his problem was the heavy suit he had on. Armor. It’s armor. How do I get it off? With some effort, he moved his arm further, and his hand reflexively found a hidden compartment on his side. He opened it and found a small handle. Gripping the handle firmly, he pulled and turned.
The girls screamed again, jumping back and away from the loud clanging sound. Danny felt the suit begin to loosen, then crack open. The girls came closer to watch as he began to pry the heavy metal apart. Once the gap was manageable, he slowly, and laboriously pulled himself out of the remnants of his powered armor. Freed, he rolled over and lay on the grass to take in the bright sky.
“Wow,” said Jess, examining the armored shell he just escaped from. “This suit probably saved your life, Danny.”
Danny turned his head to look at the little girls. “Why do you say that?”
“Because you fell from the sky.”
“I don’t remember.”
“You remembered your name.”
“Yes, I guess I did.”
“And how to open your suit.”
“My hand did that. I didn’t know what I was doing.”
“Then your hand knew how to do it. Your hand remembered. That’s something, isn’t it?”
“I guess so.”
“You should come to our house. Our mom will know what to do.”
Danny guessed he liked the sound of that. “Okay.”
“Do you need help getting up?”
“No, I think I can do it.” He took a deep breath, and sat upright to a stabbing pain. Surprised, he looked down at his torso, but could find no visible reason for it. I’m okay, he thought. With another breath, he rolled forward onto his feet.
“Do you need your gun?” said Jess, pointing past him to a spot in the grass.
Following her finger, Danny spotted a black weapon on the ground, not far from where his armor lay. “I don’t know.”
“You should bring it,” said Jess. “You don’t want kids playing with it.”
“I guess you’re right.” Danny walked over to pick up the weapon. Once in his grasp, his hand moved quickly, effortlessly, checking the condition of the weapon, its ammunition, and the safety.
“Wow,” said Jess. “You really are a soldier. Did your hand do that on its own too?”
“Yes.”
Jess frowned. “I think you must have hit your head pretty hard, but maybe not your hands. Come on.”
Danny followed the two girls out of a wooded area, then across a field. In the distance was a solitary structure. The girls skipped along happily toward it. Danny keeping a firm grip on his weapon, surveyed the surrounding landscape. Alert now. Watching warily. Anticipating danger. Why? When it finally appeared, it was from an unexpected source.
“Drop your weapon, right now,” came the woman’s voice.
Danny stopped, his muscles like taut springs. He studied the structure up ahead. Identified the window from where the voice came. His eyes picking out the partial outline of someone hiding there.
“I am armed and I will blow your head off if you don’t do as I say,” said the hidden woman. “Drop your weapon and move away from the children.”
“Mom, what are you doing?” Jess yelled out. “He’s our friend.”
“That’s no friend of ours, Jess. Now take your sister and come into the house. Mister, you so much as twitch and I will fire. Am I understood?”
“Mom, stop. Danny’s not going to hurt us. He needs our help.”
Danny let his weapon drop to the ground. “It’s okay, Jess. Your mother’s just protecting you.”
“There, you see mom? He dropped his weapon.”
“I see. Now you and your sister come inside.”
“We’re bringing Danny with us,” said Jess, reaching out to Danny.
“What? No!”
Jess grabbed a hold of Danny’s hand and began toward the house. Danny followed, unsure of what their mother would do. “Jess, I don’t think this is a good idea,” he said.
“Don’t worry. I’ll explain everything to mom. She’s usually nice. You’ll like her.”
Drawing nearer, Danny picked up on the mother’s movements. He heard her rush from the window to the door, and knew she would barge through it the second it slid open. She came at him with her weapon pointed straight at his head. Unflinching. Not bad, he thought.
“Jess, let go of his hand, right now,” ordered her mother, rapidly bridging the distance between them.
“Mom, stop it. You’re scaring him.”
Ellie started to cry.
“Oh, I don’t think anything can scare this thing,” she said.
“Mom! He’s a person, and he’s nice.”
“He’s a killer. A mercenary. And I have my doubts about whether he is human.” She closed in. Only a few feet away now. Weapon still leveled at his head. “What do you want here, mercenary?”
“Nothing,” he said. Relaxed. Ready.
“His name is Danny,” said Jess. “He hurt his head. He doesn’t remember anything.”
“Is that right? How do you know your name is Danny?”
“I don’t know.”
“I never heard of a clone with a name before. Aren’t you all supposed to just have numbers for names?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know much, do you? Okay, here’s what I want you to do. Let go of my daughter’s hand, and step back away from the weapon.”
Danny did as asked.
“Farther. I know of your abilities.”
Danny complied.
The mother stepped forward, weapon unwavering. She picked his weapon up off the ground, and slung it over her shoulder. Danny studied her movements. She seemed confident. Unafraid. Like him. He wasn’t sure how, but he knew that if he wanted to, he could take the weapon, and he would hurt her in the process. He didn’t want to do that.
“Are there any more of you nearby?”
“I don’t know.”
“He fell from the sky,” said Jess. “We thought he was dead.”
“You really don’t remember?”
“No. I don’t.”
He could feel her eyes burning though him, as she seemed to deliberate her options. With a twinge of exasperation, she appeared to reach a decision. “Alright. Come inside and we’ll figure out what to do about you. Don’t forget, I can pull this trigger faster than you can think, so don’t try anything.”
“You have nothing to fear from me.”
“We’ll see.”
Chapter 17
“I think I’ll start with the capital,” said Vice-Admiral Reynolds over Novak’s comm. “A few well-placed strikes should get your attention, Madame President.
“Admiral, I told you all I know. The missiles did not com
e from our forces,” said President Novak.
“Really? Who else possesses the firepower to shoot down four of our shuttles? My reports indicate that stealth missiles were used.”
“Shoulder fired stealth missiles. I’ve seen the reports of the incident as well. We have had problems with military theft in the past. More so after we declared independence from the Empire. It’s been chaos down here since the surrender. The population is expecting an occupation force. Things aren’t exactly orderly.”
“All I hear is excuses, Novak. No matter. You’ll soon be on your way back to Earth. Atmospheric fighters have been dispatched to ensure there are no more incidents. Once the occupation force is in place, your planet will return to an ‘orderly’ state in no time.” Reynolds vanished from Novak’s screen.
Novak looked up at James Brophy, her Chief Security Adviser. “What the hell happened? Why are we shooting down shuttles?”
“Emotions are running high. I suppose our people couldn’t resist.”
“They need to show some more restraint. We’re supposed to be avoiding the bombing of our cities, not provoking it. When the occupation is underway, we will make it costly for them. Right now, it looks like we sanctioned the strike.”
“I understand, Madame President. Rest assured, the ones responsible for the strike have already been reprimanded.”
Novak nodded. “Otherwise, how are the operations progressing?”
“It’s been moving smoothly. Our people have trained hard for this outcome.”
“It was always a distinct possibility.”
“There is only one thing left to do.”
Novak laced her fingers together and rested them on her desk. “My extraction.”
“Yes. I have a team standing by, but speed is of paramount importance.”
“About that. I don’t think it’s the best course.”
Brophy’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about? You have to go.”
“No. It’ll be too high profile. The UEDF will not rest until they find me. It’s better that I go into custody willingly. You will lead the resistance in my place.”
“Me?”
“Yes, Jim. You’ve been running this operation all along. You know what you’re doing. I’m just the figurehead.”
“The resistance needs its figurehead.”
“There’s no point arguing. My mind is made up. I will go back to Earth and face the Emperor.”
“He may choose to have you executed. You realize that, don’t you?”
“I do. Look, just promise me that you’ll look after my family. I don’t want them used as leverage.”
“It has already been taken care of.”
“Good. Now you should go. You’re no good to the resistance if you are taken into custody.”
Brophy stood at attention to salute. “I won’t let you down, Madame President.”
“Thank you, Jim. Good luck.”
Brophy nodded his goodbye before marching out of the room.
Novak swiveled her chair around. As she looked out her window, she wondered if she’d ever see her planet again. In the distance, the sound of sporadic weapons fire punctuated the silence that had come with surrender. It was clear the some Pallians still fought the occupation. It was to be expected, however futile.
Their only remaining hope was determined, organized resistance. They had to make things costly for the Empire. Wear them down until they are forced to pack up and leave. It would take years, maybe decades, but one day Pallias would be free.
Chapter 18
“Pallias has fallen, your majesty,” said Admiral Cherenko, standing in front of the Emperor’s great desk. As much as he disliked the Emperor, he was relieved to be bringing good news. The Emperor was irrational at times. Cherenko didn’t relish the idea of being on the wrong end of that irrationality. “The occupation force has taken control of key planetary assets, while UEDF and Zeta ships have secured the Pallian system. President Novak is in custody, and on route back to Earth.”
A smile spread across Emperor Detlev’s face. “Excellent work, Cherenko. Excellent work indeed.”
“Thank you, majesty,” said Cherenko, bowing his head.
“The addition of the Zeta warships came in handy, I see.”
“Yes, about that. I’ve received some disturbing reports regarding the Zeta fleet.”
“How so?”
“First off, the ships are all large enough to create their own jump points. Each is the size of one of our capital ships. Second, they have developed an upgraded plasma beam that is much more powerful than anything we possess.”
“You think Zeta is a threat?”
“I do.”
“Have they taken any aggressive action against us?”
“No, Sir. They haven’t.”
“But you believe they might in the future?”
“It is a possibility. We need to be vigilant in these trying times.”
The Emperor didn’t immediately respond, and Cherenko hoped that he saw the threat for what it was. Zeta was useful against the Pallians, but they needed to be brought firmly under UEDF control.
“This Masterson is a bit of an upstart,” the Emperor said finally. “You think he has more secrets, don’t you?”
“I do not believe he can be trusted, Sir. No mercenary can. They have no honor.”
“Masterson serves only himself. But at least we know where he stands. We do not have to worry about him allying with others against us. So long as we can pay him, we can control him. There is no profit in turning his ships against us. No, I believe he was putting his new ships on display.”
“You think he wants to sell them to us?”
“Of course, Cherenko. And we will buy some, with the understanding that we will buy more if we are happy with them.”
“Once we have the ships, we can reverse engineer their upgraded plasma beam,” said Cherenko, realizing the Emperor’s intent. The Emperor still surprised him from time to time. Perhaps he wasn’t a complete imbecile.
“Exactly. Masterson is useful for the time being. If he can help get things under control, then we will use him. Thankfully, the Empire’s coffers are still healthy, and the Pallians will pay substantial war reparations to the Empire. Now tell me, who was responsible for the victory in the Pallian system.”
“Vice Admiral Reynolds.”
“Reynolds? I haven’t heard this name before.”
“He was a captain, majesty. I was impressed by his conduct in the previous Pallian campaign, so I promoted him to Vice Admiral.”
“But we were defeated in the previous campaign.”
“Yes, majesty. The defeat was due to faulty intelligence, however. Reynolds had destroyed several Pallian warships before the Frontier Alliance showed up. He also dealt decisively with a group of disobedient Zeta contractors. He carried out their execution without hesitation. I thought he would be perfect for this campaign, considering the Zeta fleet.”
“Yes, we do need someone with a firm hand when it comes to Zeta.”
“He was the one to force Novak to surrender Pallias. He threatened to bomb Pallian city centers.”
“Now that is the type of iron will we need. A few more officers like this Reynolds, and we can finally crush this damned independence movement. What is next for Vice Admiral Reynolds?”
“He is overseeing the occupation of Pallias.”
“I think you should give Vice Admiral Reynolds another opportunity to prove himself. See if he can take back another system for the Empire. Can we hold the Pallian system with a smaller force than we needed to invade?”
“Yes, majesty. I believe we can. Especially with the new Zeta warships.”
“Good. What do you think of the Allimanian system? They are quite rich in risium.”
“I believe they are reasonably isolated. We have no intelligence indicating they have joined the Frontier Alliance.”
The Emperor’s eyes narrowed. “You said the same thing about the Pallians, Admiral.”
“Yes, majesty. We have doubled our intelligence efforts. I believe the Pallian case was the sole exception.”
“I hope you are right, Admiral. For your sake.”
Cherenko swallowed hard, the threat barely veiled. One day, he would pay back this disgusting excuse of an emperor for his many offenses. Sadly, today wasn’t that day. “I will ensure that UEDF intelligence scrutinizes even the tiniest detail about the Allimanian system. In the meantime, I will draw up plans for its invasion.”
“Thank you, Admiral. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.”
Chapter 19
“You can’t stay here. You know that, don’t you?”
The woman sat across from Danny, weapon still squarely trained on him. Her hands remained steady. Her blue eyes calm. He thought he liked her. “Okay. I’ll go whenever you want me to.”
“Mom, he needs our help,” pleaded Jess. “He’s not going to hurt us.”
“Go play with your sister, Jess,” said the woman.
“She’s right. I won’t hurt you,” said Danny.
“I don’t know that,” said the woman.
“If I was going to, I would have done so already.”
“I don’t think so. Not with this weapon pointed at you.”
Danny shook his head. “I may not remember anything, but I do know that I can subdue you.”
“Really? You’re pretty arrogant for an unarmed clone with a head injury.”
Danny shrugged. “It’s not arrogance. I just know it. That’s all.”
“Then maybe I should just shoot you now rather than take the chance?”
“I’m not meaning to threaten you. I’m trying to let you know that you can put the weapon down. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“I think I’ll hang on to it a while longer.”
“What’s your name?”
“None of your business.”
“Mom!” said Jess. “Her name’s Catherine.”
“Didn’t I tell you to play with your sister?”
“I’m happy to meet you, Catherine,” said Danny.