This got Terri's attention. She jumped up, pulled Carol a few steps away, speaking quietly but directly into her ear.
"Ensign, you are overreaching your authority, and what's more important is that you're overreacting. I do not need-" Carol looked Terri hard in the eyes and blew right through her objections.
"Commander Michael - ma'am - you are the senior surviving officer in a combat situation. For the moment I am your de facto deputy, and that makes me responsible for your safety."
Slowly, Terri smiled, just a little, trying hard not to let Carol see it. This one has some real backbone, she thought. She decided to let it go.
"Very well, Ensign. Until Commander Davis returns, at least."
Carol nodded and then walked out into the intersection to wait for her crew. Her crew. The thought came to her so easily that she was startled by the clarity of it. These people will follow my commands, and I am now responsible for their lives. The reality of combat leadership now weighed on her mind, with death in the air all around them, she wanted very much to keep it off herself and her people. She prayed silently Please God don't let me get them killed. Still, next to her worries and stress another part of her felt calm, confident. Her training had prepared her well for this day, and she had thought enough to pay attention when it counted.
Terri Michael watched her go, seeing the sensitive, naïve Ensign fading and a real officer beginning to emerge. She put her head back and closed her eyes. So, Abuelita Santos, what would you think of your little girl now? she wondered. I would think your friends are very lucky to have you! her inner Grandma answered. Maybe, she responded, I hope so. Setting the pleasant side-conversation with her memory of home aside, she forced herself to consider what might happen next, and how she would react. Her thoughts were not restful or pleasant, but they were necessary, and she would not shrink from the contemplation of such violence as that which she might need to defend her people and the Inori.
Meridian Street
3km North of Inoria
Saturday, January 15, 2078, 1205 UTC
Lieutenant Commander Len Davis, Liberty's Weapons officer, was at that moment scrambling down the remains of a fifty-story tower that had fallen across Meridian Street with his small detail of Ensign Catherine Stevens and two chiefs. He was actually doing much better than Terri's estimate, making around three klicks an hour through the destruction. Inor's marginally smaller gravity didn't hurt, and neither did its higher oxygen content. They pushed hard and about three kilometers north of the city he saw Evans and Carter heading towards him at a crisp pace.
Davis greeted them grimly, his dark face seeming even darker with the weight he felt.
"Welcome to hell, Mr. Evans, Mr. Carter."
"Do you know what happened, sir?"
"We're at war, Rich. Don't know who, got no damned idea why, but most of Inoria is in flames, and Liberty is gone."
"Gone?"
"Gone, Rich, as in destroyed in combat."
"Can't say I'm surprised, sir. I saw three explosions but couldn't be sure what they were."
"Three?"
"Yes, two to the north and then one back more over Inoria."
"So, we must have hit something," Davis said hopefully.
"Yes, sir, that would be my slightly uninformed assessment," Evans said with irony in his voice.
"Ever the skeptic, Lieutenant?"
"Just a humble slave to verifiable facts, Commander."
Davis managed a wry smile, and the six survivors started to trudge back south. The increasing destruction wore deep furrows in Rich Evans's face and mind, as he began to appreciate the breadth and depth of the disaster unfolding before him. As they walked, Rich saw the crushed stone pavement perforated from place to place. He asked Davis to stop so he could take a better look. He stuck his finger in the hole but was unable to touch anything.
"Anybody got a knife?"
Catherine Stevens produced a Marine KA-BAR combat knife from a holster on her right calf. She smiled as she passed the weapon over.
"Just sharpen it when you're done, sir."
"No promises," he responded as he started digging. As he struggled to move the soil aside, he spoke without looking up. "Looks like Lazy Dogs to me, Commander."
Davis looked puzzled. "Say what?"
Evans leaned back to look up at Davis, shaking the dirt off his hands as he did. "You need to brush up on your mid-twentieth century military history, sir. I know it's been a while. Lazy Dogs are anti-personnel darts dropped from high altitude."
Evans finally hit something with the knife once he was down a foot or so. He dug around the hole until thin fins were visible. "Unbelievable," he muttered as he proceeded. He finally exposed enough of the dart that he could wiggle it free from the gritty, light-brown Inori soil, cutting his finger on the edge as he did. He pulled out a dart that was perhaps a quarter of a meter long, with a round body maybe three centimeters in diameter. The leading edges of the fins were razor sharp, swept back at an acute angle.
"These things are sharp as hell, Commander. I've seen what they do, and it's pretty horrible."
He returned the KA-BAR back to Stevens, who frowned at its condition, but cleaned it best she could and stuffed it back on her leg.
"So, you think the rest of this is, what, RFGs?" Davis asked.
"Yes, it could well be an RFG attack. We'll need to dig some up to be positive. Did you see the streaks in the sky?"
"Yeah, I saw them. They were coming right at me."
"Wow. Scary."
"No shit. Would these be guided or dumb or what?"
"Good question, sir. My guess is that they're guided, but we need to look around. There may be evidence in these holes that will help us."
He stepped off, and they were back on the move south. Davis and Evans walked well ahead of the others.
"Rich, I don't have the brief on dispositions. Where are our ships?"
Evans thought a moment, then consulted his NetLink for the time.
"Well, let's see, it's January 15, 1255 UTC. Antares is on a shakedown to Proxima Centauri, just enough distance to give the drive a workout. Stoykiy is enroute to Sirius for a quick recon of the system. Somehow nobody's flown by to see what's there. Now that's a real secret, sir, both dangerous and embarrassing as hell." Davis nodded his understanding. "Bondarenko is at Epsilon Eridani, the Dunkirk group is at Tau Ceti. Stalingrad is at Earth, I believe. That's all I can recall offhand."
"What do you expect them to do?"
"Well, sir, you know how the brass is; they'll all be doin' the headless chicken dance."
"True, but what would you expect?"
"If I were there I would grab Dunkirk and send her here to secure the area. They're relatively close. Then I'd throw Stalingrad out of Earth orbit and send her here, too, secretly, to cover the evacuation."
"But, will we be here to evacuate?"
Evans took several steps before responding. "Thinking invasion?"
Davis nodded. "This sure looks like Normandy early on June the sixth, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, I suppose it does, sir." Evans looked all around him, pausing a second to study the smoke rising from Inoria. "Could also be Dresden."
They took a few steps as Evans paused to think.
"Still, I think while an invasion is a possibility, it's unlikely." He stopped, turning to Davis. "The best inhibition to an invasion is biological. If they're really alien, they might not want to risk it. They could destroy the planet just by coming if they bring some monster bug the Inori, or we, can't defeat. Or get one that they can't handle." They resumed walking. "An odd thing about a space war, sir, which you never see in the movies, is that a poorly prepared peace delegation can obliterate the race you mean to make friends with."
"But they were able to hit their Inori targets pretty well, right? Wouldn't you think that means they know a lot about Inor?"
"No doubt they do. And taking that a step further, knowing a lot about Inor would tell you that these people are not a
threat. No weapons, no warships, not so much as a militia. Their space technology is 1970's at the latest. So why trash the place? It makes no sense to destroy an undefended society that poses no threat. Even the planet isn't unique. There are two other habitable planets in this system that don't happen to have any intelligent life on them. If they needed a base, they could have one for free and in secret. No, sir, this is different. Must be real thugs, these guys. Can't wait to kill some."
Len Davis smiled grimly at Evans's attitude. Rich Evans, despite his thin six-foot-three-inch frame, was tough as old shoe leather underneath. He had thick glasses, a shy demeanor, and a wry grin with which he hid the steel of his character. He hardly looked the warrior, and those who counted too much on appearances might find themselves surprised by someone they had severely underestimated.
They turned their faces back to Inoria and resumed their descent into Hades. The rest of the trek into the city passed mostly in silence. Evans stopped from time to time to examine the holes in the street, taking pictures and measuring them best he could. It became clear to him there were at least two sizes, and he marked the larger ones on the guide map he had purchased to plan his outing Some outing, he thought, hacking their way deeper and deeper into the hellish fire, disgusting smoke, and horrible scenes of pain and death.
The Hexagon
Inoria
Saturday, January 15, 2078,1650 UTC
Len Davis sighted Terri Michael atop the ruined fountain just as she was spotting him from a distance of about a kilometer. The night was approaching, and his small group of men and women was moving at a brisk, nervous pace to get to a secure place before dark. By the time they reached the intersection Carol had secured, they were tired and leg-weary despite Inor's lower gravity and higher oxygen.
"Good afternoon, Commander Michael. Damn glad to see you." Len said with a wry smile.
Terri returned the grin. "Damn glad to be seen, Len. All well?" There was real relief in their handshake.
"Aside from being frightened out of our wits, we're OK. A couple of shrapnel wounds on folks who were closer to Inoria than I was, but nothing serious. What's your status here?"
"With your group, we've got sixteen crew here of thirty-five on the planet. I've got five confirmed dead, including Roskov."
"Well, I guess that leaves you as senior surviving officer, Commander Michael."
She nodded. "It does. And you are now the Deputy Commander of ISC Forces, Inor."
She pulled him aside a few feet. "Did Dean get to you?" she asked, quietly.
"No. You?"
She nodded.
"And?"
"Not much - he was already in the fight and had to cut me off. NetLink went down right after that. Wished us luck."
They stood there a few seconds, thinking of Carpenter, then she took him further aside.
"We need to make some plans. Get Evans and Hansen and let's take a walk."
Davis' face showed his surprise at the mention of Carol Hansen's name. "Hansen?"
"Len, that girl is all steel underneath the velvet. She's kept her head, took charge when she had to, assigned me a guard, secured the area, so yeah, she's in."
"Yes, ma'am." He turned to his group. "Lieutenant Sanders, you're in charge while we're away. See if you can scare up some food. Looks like a café or something there. Should be something edible around. Rich, Ensign Hansen, the Commander and I would like you to join us."
Len Davis turned around and walked the twenty yards or so to where Terri stood. Rich and Carol joined them momentarily. Carol spoke first.
"Commander Michael, ma'am, Sanders is a Lieutenant and Coleman and Stevens are the same rank as me, and-"
"Ensign Hansen," Davis interrupted her.
"Sir?" she asked warily.
"Nobody standing here gives a crap about seniority, especially among Ensigns. Commander Michael wants you here, so you're here."
"Yes, sir." Carol turned quickly, catching Corporal Jackson's eye, and lifting her head just a bit. He nodded in response, and got his men up.
Terri turned from scanning the southern horizon. "Let's walk. We've got a lot to talk about. Mr. Evans, where are our ships?"
Rich repeated the recitation he had already given Len on the locations and his expectations of the ISC Fleet.
"So," he concluded, "I think we have at least two weeks, probably more, before we see anyone from Earth. By SLIP, CINC will have the word about a day after we send a message."
"Sounds right. OK. We've got to discuss scenarios and options. Ensign Hansen, what will the enemy do next?"
Junior officers speak first, Carol knew, so she expected the question to come to her. Shrugging, she answered "Hard to say, Commander. We have so little data to work with. We don't know why they attacked, their goals, their capabilities, what their social structure is. I don't have a clue."
Terri turned and put her hand on Carol's shoulder. "Good. Carol, always tell me you don't know when you don't know. I hate having to figure out for myself that someone is just talking and not really saying anything. Mr. Evans?"
Rich smiled. "Really, Commander, I can't improve on Ensign Hansen's assessment. Except, maybe, as I was saying to Commander Davis on the walk south, these guys are real thugs. I mean, Inor is this sweet little planet of industrious but harmless people. They're no threat to anybody. To hit a planet like this makes no sense."
"All right, we don't know what these bastards will do next. What should we prepare for?"
Len spoke next. "We can't prepare for much. The biggest gun we have on hand is a KA-BAR."
There was nervous, cynical laughter at that statement. There was silence for perhaps twenty yards of walking.
"If I may Commander?" Carol started.
"You may."
"I was thinking about the rescue question. As Mister Evans said, Bondarenko and Dunkirk are fairly close. There is a SLIP transmitter in the Embassy. We could call them ourselves. It will be two days for them to get the word from Earth and it would be only hours from here - plus - if these assholes are as good as they seem to be, both are in some danger-"
Rich smiled as he cut her off. "Giving orders to other ships? I don't think we-"
"No, Rich, she has a point." Terri interrupted. "We signal them both as a warning and a notice of our situation."
"We copy CINC," Len added. "and maybe we've called in our own cavalry."
"Yeah, that about covers what I was thinking. But if they come it's their call." Carol finished.
Terri suddenly stopped and looked behind her at a shadowy figure about fifty feet behind them. Night had finally come, and the smoke overhead, eerily lit by the fires, made it feel that much more sinister.
"Who's that?"
Carol responded immediately. "Corporal Jackson, ma'am. There is also a Marine about thirty yards ahead of us and another over on our right." She paused for effect, smiling slightly. "The corporal is really very good."
Michael looked at Davis. He nodded slightly. They exchanged a second, more intense look and then Michael started moving along the street again.
"Hansen, I would love to have a talk with your profs at the U. Who the hell taught you all this?"
"Excuse me, ma'am? Taught me what?"
Terri turned and pointed to the corner behind which the other survivors were waiting. "There are a lot of experienced crew - including officers - back there trying very hard not to shit their uniforms they're so scared. Here you are having won your first argument with your new commander, set a watch for the officers, and maybe figured out how we might call for help and not all get killed."
Carol paused for a moment, looking off into the distance, then turned back to Terri. "I had a friend at the university, Commander, he was maybe the smartest one in our study group, and we used to sit up and argue about what we would do if we were in some situation or another. He was really good at tactics and evaluating a situation, and he taught me, well, taught all of us, a lot about setting aside the stress and thinking our way through
the problem."
"Where is he now?"
"He never graduated - he - uh - he had a personal problem Senior term and dropped out. I sort of lost track of him after that, but he's in the service somewhere. Warrant officer."
Terri Michael shook her head. "Senior Term? Must have been some problem."
"It was," she said quietly.
"Was it you?"
Rich's blunt question took Carol back a step, but she recovered quickly. Ignoring the blush burning in her cheeks, she replied "No, sir, it wasn't me. It was worse than that."
"He as good as you?"
She nodded.
"I want his name when we get back home, Carol. If he's down in the bowels of some ship, he's wasted." She paused a step and then continued the discussion at hand. "We need to get someone to the Embassy. We need to evaluate and secure the landing zone. Is the shuttle still there? I doubt it. Rich, how do we get all our people together? We still have a several unaccounted for."
"Well, the Embassy has a NetLink node. I've got the network prefix settings for Liberty, so I could get a NetLink loop set up. That would let us recall everybody."
Davis stopped to pull out a tablet, looking around he matched the map to the streets he could see. "Embassy is about four and a half blocks south. Maybe a klick. Shuttle landing zone is about four klicks east. Lucky thing Inoria isn't large, as cities go."
"OK, Rich, take Carol and whoever else you need and head for the embassy. Len, take Carter and about a half-dozen and get to the shuttle. Hopefully by the time you get there, Rich will have a NetLink running, and you can give me the bad news."
Len shook his head. "Terri, it's getting awfully dark, the crew that came down from the north is pretty tired, not to mention beat up. Should we split up now or would it be better to wait until the morning?"
She paused to reconsider her plan. "Rich, think you can get the NetLink up tonight?"
"Sure."
"OK, then you take Hansen and whoever you think you need and go do that. The rest of us will bed down where we are tonight and then, Len, your group will leave in the morning. I still need to know if we have a shuttle or not but I can wait a few hours for that. It will be safer in daylight, too."
Silver Enigma Page 3