“Shut up,” Havelar told him, which seemed to infuriate the senior scientist even more, but his fury turned to puzzlement when he heard the gunfire.
“I know some of you are hoping the rebels have come for you, and I’m truly sorry to tell you that’s not the case.” Jeremiah cocked his head, and Havelar hoped he saw that there was no irony in his voice. He was truly sorry. He’d have wished it was the rebels. His words came out too quickly, but it was only fair that they should learn the truth. Hopefully that would make them work together, finally.
“We’re under attack from an unknown force. And I don’t think it’s human.”
Chapter 5
Maria solis
Back at the campsite, Maria contacted Kenneth to tell him about the Akhab. But she didn’t really get a chance. She was trying to make out what he was trying to tell her, but with reception being as bad as it was, it was difficult to know for sure. What she did know was that she had to head back to the Stronghold. It sounded like they were in trouble, and her discovery would have to wait for now.
Even so, she did manage to share with him some of what she had found before they broke communication. It was a truly amazing tale—intelligent beings just a few days north of the Stronghold, the true Aurorans. Even more amazing was the story of how she had followed them and been welcomed into their cave, where the walls were painted with images of humanoids coexisting with the Akhab.
Maria could tell Kenneth was excited by the news, but she knew he had to direct his full attention to the imminent threat to the Stronghold. And until she could speak to him in person to detail their discovery, no one else could know, even though that secrecy didn’t sit right with her. Thankfully, that decision wasn’t hers to make. Kenneth, as president, would have the final say.
So here she was, sitting quietly at their small campsite by the river. She’d shared Kenneth’s news, the little she’d gleaned from the broken communication, and they all knew they needed to return to the Stronghold, but as she looked at the rest of her team, she was certain each of them was lost in thought about their discovery.
She remembered the last conversation she’d had with Karin, just before leaving the cave to return to camp. They had both been studying the murals, and Karin had called her over to look at something. Karin had shown her a few details she hadn’t noticed, such as a gloved hand on one of the humanoids, which had five fingers, and an image where the sole of a boot was showing.
“Amazing isn’t it?” Karin had said. “It would fit on us, don’t you think?” Maria had just nodded, and Karin had giggled. It was the first time she had heard the Swedish astronomer even close to laughing.
The cavern was large enough to hold several football fields, and murals adorned the walls throughout. Maria still hadn’t seen them all, even days after she’d first set foot in here. As they explored day after day, the entire community of Akhab went about their business, usually not even noticing the strange beings that had entered their home. Only those close by reacted to their presence. And when they did, they looked excited, pointing and chirping away in their strange squirrelly sounds. A few pointed at them, and then at the murals covering several of the walls nearby.
That had been when Maria had looked even more closely at the murals, wondering why the Akhab were so excited.
“Look at that,” she whispered.
“Do you notice the shapes?” Karin asked. “And look, the paintings seem to tell a story.”
Maria hadn’t thought of it that way before. She walked toward one of the murals. It depicted a scene in which the Akhab and the humanoids were building something, a large half-sphere of sorts, together. Both species seemed to handle some sort of tools, and there were structures, obviously the work of a technologically advanced species, that looked like construction machinery.
“This is…” Maria began, then spun around at Karin who was standing right behind her. “We need to learn their language. I mean, we can learn a lot just from studying the murals and the Akhab themselves more closely, but the only way to really understand is to be able to talk to them, ask questions, understand what they are saying to each other.”
Maria wished she had her mother’s aptitude for languages, but she’d have to make do. She ached to understand, and every little detail made her more curious, more eager to unravel the mysteries contained in this cave. But for now, before she could fully commit to the task of learning the Akhab language, she had responsibilities back at the Stronghold.
Thomas dunn
Thomas looked at Maria out of the corner of his eye as they were walking leisurely together through the small town. Thomas had spent the last few days back in the Stronghold for some sorely needed R&R, and Maria had arrived earlier today from her journey north. They had met on their way to supper and shared a meal of green deer stew. Maria had been unusually tight lipped, but he thought it could be because she was thinking the same as he. Everyone expected the war to flare up again this spring, and Thomas knew that although they had dealt Havelar’s troops some hard blows, they were in no position to beat them in the field. And he knew some people were hoping Havelar would return to the negotiating table. Thomas knew better. He had been too close to both Havelar and the people surrounding him. No, Havelar would strike, and soon. They might hold them back, but it meant the war would drag on, and likely into the next season.
As they passed one of the carpenters sharpening his axe while laughing at some joke told by another standing by, he let go of the thoughts of war and eyed Maria again. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but for some reason, he had a hard time finding the appropriate words. So it was Maria who broke the silence, instead.
“How long before you have to leave, Thomas?” He sighed. His last patrol in the foothills had taken almost three weeks. Long periods of boredom, waiting for the right time and place, and then a quick surprise attack where the enemy least expected it, followed by a rapid withdrawal, vanishing into the woods before the soldiers knew what had hit them. The patrol hadn’t accomplished as much as he’d wanted, but on the other hand, they didn’t lose a single man. With life more precious than anytime before in history, that was a real victory. Come to think of it, he’d been out in the field most of the winter, and though that life was rough sometimes, he’d begun to get used to it. He’d always enjoyed being outdoors, and even though his earlier experiences had never been under conditions such as an Aurora winter, he’d learned something very important: if you knew what you were doing, even the harshest of winter conditions could become your ally instead of a deadly enemy. That knowledge had saved his life several times, and it was the single most important asset he and his team had, which made them a valuable asset to Tina Hammer, who would send them on all the most difficult missions.
“We’ll be leaving again tomorrow morning,” he said. He’d been postponing this conversation all winter, so why did he feel so awkward now that he had the chance?
“You know, I worry about you out there,” Maria said after a short silence, looking up at him through those long lashes, eyes so dark brown you could get lost in their depths. He felt his skin grow hot.
“I worry, too… I mean, I worry that I won’t see…” he trailed off as their eyes locked, and Maria smiled at him.
“I know you do.” That smile made everything else disappear, as if the world around them wasn’t tearing itself to pieces. As if nothing bad could happen. Maria took his hand and stepped closer.
“I… We…” he stuttered. Maria put a finger to his lips, and he stopped trying to speak what couldn’t be put into mere words. She laid her head on his chest, and he carefully embraced her, burying his nose in her hair. He took a deep breath and inhaled her scent, soap and wood and smoke intermingled. They didn’t need words. The moment seemed to last an eternity. This is the way it’s supposed to be, he thought.
“My cabin is just over there,” Maria whispered. Their eyes met again.
“Are you sure?” She nodded.
“Geena’s out wit
h the hunting party. She won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon.” Neither of them spoke, then he finally smiled back at her. How could he ever turn her down? She was everything he’d ever dreamed of.
Their lips met.
Kenneth taylor
Kenneth sat deep in thought, while Tina was busy studying a rough map with Thomas and Dean, who had just arrived. The comms still seemed to be down for some reason. Luckily though, Tina had insisted they lay a landline through the mountains, and now this was the only thing maintaining clear lines of communication between the Stronghold and the outposts covering the southern passes. A messenger had arrived from one of these posts half a day ago, bearing news of a large force moving toward them. They had scrambled the shuttle a couple of times, and its reconnaissance value was incredible. A shuttle, with all its sensors and detection equipment, could survey in half an hour the same area that several recon patrols would spend weeks gaining an overview of. But they didn’t dare take it too far south or too high, or it would be susceptible to anti-aircraft missiles. And they only had the one Thomas had escaped with last autumn, and it carried no weapons. Fort Andrews, on the other hand, had two, not counting the one stationed on board the Exodus itself, both fully weaponized. Regardless, the quick aerial survey only confirmed that Havelar’s forces were about to move north and gave them a hint of the enemy’s size and armaments.
Thomas spoke before anyone else. “They are going to try to cut off the outposts quickly, so we’ll have no warning once they’ve taken them out.”
Tina nodded and conceded that it looked like the final siege against the Stronghold was coming, the day everyone had been dreading. Kenneth was more optimistic than most. All the outposts were still operational, and with land-based comms still intact, Tina would be able to direct the troops to wherever they were most needed. Ben and his team would be especially useful, with their speed and raw force. It left a bad taste in his mouth, using these kids in such a manner. Nevertheless, if that helped them repel the attack, and eventually win the war, that was more important than his own principles and morals. After all, what would happen to them if Havelar won?
“They are moving closer to outpost four,” Dean said, one ear pressed to the headphones. Tina paced, and Kenneth knew she struggled with one major decision above all others. Stay and fight, or run north to the sea? They had time to pack up, and to the north lay the coast, where their ships were moored, waiting for them. If the situation turned really bad, they could set sail and put some real distance between themselves and Havelar’s colony. Dean amongst others had advocated this, while Thomas stubbornly argued that they needed to end this now. He had fought this war covertly for years; of course he was impatient. But the more Kenneth mulled over the decision, he realized he agreed with Thomas. He looked at Tina, who stopped her pacing and cocked her head at him.
“We cannot run any more,” Kenneth said. “You’ve said it yourself; this is an ideal defensive location for a land-based war. This, the ability to move troops quickly across the front, will not be possible anywhere else.” Tina nodded, and Kenneth pressed on.
“Besides, we may be able to…” He looked around and lowered his voice. “If we should be so fortunate to end the war, we might stand a chance at survival. If the war drags on, though, come winter, we’ll starve. All of us, even those back in Andrews. Whether we go north or stay, we don’t have the stocks that Fort Andrews does, so many of us won’t last through the next winter.” He looked to Tina and when she spoke, it was the decisive war commander speaking, the one with a clear mission and the intention of carrying out a difficult task, no matter the cost.
“All right then, so that’s decided. Now, let’s prepare our defenses in the mountain passes. Let’s make it difficult for them. Ben and his team will form the reserve, and Thomas, you go take your team around to the west. You know the drill. You take out their supply lines, and then attack them from the rear. Bring Alan’s and Jocelyn’s teams, as well.”
“Are you sure this is wise,” a voice said from the back of the room. Rajiv Singh took a step forward, a concerned look on his face. Kenneth thought he knew what he was thinking. Even though the Indira Federation had chosen a path of neutrality, as in refusing to take sides in the Auroran conflict, he knew Rajiv was invested in their fate. Dehlia would deal with whoever came out on top, although Kenneth had a feeling Rajiv hoped it would be them.
“You know how dangerous this is. If the population decreases much further, it will no longer be sustainable. You’ve already lost so many.” Kenneth nodded. Even if the Indira ambassador tried to seem analytical and impersonal about it, he was clearly affected by the situation. To see another human outpost descend into a darkness it might never be able to climb out of had to be difficult. Especially when forced to stand by, to keep neutral, while your sympathies for one side were strong and growing. Kenneth smiled at the Dehlian ambassador, who smiled wanly back. They both knew the odds weren’t in their favor.
Chapter 6
george Havelar
The line of refugees stretched all the way back to the crossing, where the final stragglers were being helped ashore. A pregnant woman lost her balance and almost fell, but one of the soldiers caught her before she plunged into the ice-cold water. Havelar stood looking out at the ruins of Port Hammer, waiting for the latest word from the forward scouts. There was a cold drizzle, and he heard the babbling of a small brook nearby. Other than that, there was only silence. No one said anything as they waited for the scout. The silence was eerie, and Havelar realized he was holding his breath. He exhaled slowly, trying to relax. He couldn’t though; the burden of leadership weighed more heavily on his shoulders now than it ever had. This was his responsibility.
A soldier—a woman he thought he’d seen before, back in the early days—waved for them to continue. The ruins were safe, which meant they would have a place to sleep tonight. He waited for a moment, while others walked toward the former ship-building camp turned rebel base. His troops had torched this place after beating Admiral Hamilton’s rebels on the north bank of the Trickler. He tried not to think of what had happened back there. One way or another, it had to be done. Ramon had been given his chance and gained nothing. When that hadn’t worked, Major Carroll’s method had brought results.
Isabella Solis approached him. She had slowly begun to take her late husband’s place, and since the evacuation, she’d grown into his second in command, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for her. Even before Ramon had been reported missing, and later confirmed dead, she had sort of faded into a quiet obscurity. But now she stood here, stronger than ever; the leader he had once known her to be. He was glad to have her back.
“George, do you have any idea how far ahead the colonel is? I don’t, and I’d feel a lot better if I knew she was taking her troops this way instead of further north.” Havelar nodded.
“At least one of the messengers should reach her tonight, I hope. They’re quick, and even with the quads, her force can only move so fast. Too much equipment.” She forced a smile and walked away, always busy with one task or another. Havelar was grateful that she helped out as much as she did. He felt ashamed for threatening Ramon, his old friend, as he had the last time he’d seen him. Ramon and Isabella should have been more included, both of them. They had been among his closest business partners once, and he’d considered them his friends. Well, not much he could do now, but accept Isabella’s continued loyalty and assistance. They would manage, until they could get word to the colonel. Once Quellar got word of their predicament, she would call off the attack and turn around. He hoped they might join up before the colonel reached the Stronghold forces. It was imperative that all Aurorans set aside their conflicts and join forces against this new enemy. He had faith the colonel would recognize the urgency. He only hoped the rebels would, as well.
Sophie Breckinbridge came walking up to him, an old-fashioned clipboard in hand. He’d often heard others tease her for using such old-fashioned equipment, b
ut he thought he understood her. There was something deeply satisfying about scratching items off a to-do list. You didn’t really get that on a tablet.
“Sir, I have the complete supply list ready for you. We didn’t have much time…” she trailed off. He smiled weakly as he took the clipboard. Beside the tally for each item, she’d indicated how long everything could be expected to last. Weapons, cooking utensils, and such would last indefinitely, as it was only a question of whether they had it or not. Food, ammunition, and batteries on the other hand were items that couldn’t be replaced in their current situation. He glanced down the list.
“Food, two days, three tops… Batteries, a few weeks, a month at the most… Shit, we didn’t think to take any reaction batteries then…” He looked back at her. “Looks like we’ll be out of options soon.” She didn’t reply, and he handed her back the clipboard. He turned his attention to the stragglers, who were finally joining them. Jeremiah Lowell, the loud-mouth geologist, had kept his silence since leaving Fort Andrews, but now he came over, a scowl on his face. Havelar braced for the onslaught, but to his surprise, Lowell seemed to have something else on his mind.
“Governor, sir,” the professor said, his voice flat. “One of my colleagues seems to be having trouble; his heart, I fear. Do you know where Doc Bowers can be found?” Havelar frowned. After the rigorous selection process back on Earth, he hadn’t expected anyone to have heart issues.
“I do not know… But Sophie probably does. She went over there,” he said, pointing at one of the cabins that still seemed relatively intact, except for a cave-in on one side.
“Thanks, George,” the professor said, granting him a weary smile. “Some predicament, eh? Well, I won’t keep you.” He turned away, leaving Havelar puzzled. So, it seemed Jeremiah Lowell was actually capable of speaking without attacking every half-sentence.
Genesis (The Exodus Trilogy) Page 5