Warlord 2: The Nobility

by CJ Williams

  “I suspect that by now Doctor Higgins has even more capable machines at hand. Many of the new immigrants are scientists and engineers.”

  “They would have to be,” Carrie agreed. “Those skyscrapers are beyond anything we can do in Jabon City.”

  Sadie lined up on final approach for the main hangar opening.

  Carrie noted several new hangar openings, and the airspace was busy with comings and goings. “This place is getting crowded,” she observed.

  “It is,” Sadie replied. “George has informed me you are being given priority access to the main hangar, although it is now one of the smaller landing areas, used mostly for VIPs. Doctor Higgins is waiting for you.”

  Carrie saw a vaguely familiar looking gentleman, standing behind the yellow line on the hangar floor. Recognition dawned. “That’s Doctor Higgins? What happened to him? He looks so young!”

  “You’ve been told many times about the physiological abilities that your implant offers. He’s one of the new breed who are learning how to use it.”

  Carrie suddenly felt self-conscious. Doctor Higgins looked fabulous while she herself had become an old woman. During her trip from J97 to Earth, she had avoided the mirror inside Sadie’s otherwise luxurious bathroom. Only in passing had she noted that her gaunt looks and gray hair were still there.

  Too late now, she concluded.

  Sadie touched down and the side door opened. Carrie took a deep breath and stepped out of the shuttle.

  George’s familiar voice spoke directly into her mind. Greetings, Admiral Faulkner, welcome back. Transfer of authority complete. You are now in command of all planetary defense forces of the Milky Way Alliance and have full authorization over all Moonbase activity. Do you wish to maintain Doctor Higgins as your alternate?

  Carrie was momentarily shocked by the statement but then realized she should have expected it. Luke always outranked everyone because of his implant, and now she had the same thing in her head.

  “Yes, of course,” she said quickly as Higgins arrived. “Doctor Higgins,” she greeted him in an embarrassed manner.

  “Call me Roth, Carrie,” he said, embracing her warmly. “Everyone else does, these days. Should I call you boss?”

  Carrie’s face flushed with embarrassment. “No, not at all. And it’s not because you look like a teenager.”

  Roth laughed easily. “That’s stretching it quite a bit, but thanks. You look horrible.” He laughed again when she flinched at his words. “Well, you do, but it’s understandable. Don’t worry; we’ll take care of that in no time.”

  He stopped and grew serious, holding her at arm’s length. “I’ve been briefed. I’m familiar with what’s going on with you. And just so you know, no one else is aware of your little incident. It’s up to you if and when you want to share that with anyone.”

  “Thank you, Roth. Sadie suggested I let my doctor know. I don’t know who that is yet.”

  “Good advice. I hear that Sadie has been taking care of you. Annie sent me a long message about Sadie’s therapeutic capability.”

  Carrie nodded slowly. “Sadie’s been great. It’s still rough, but I’m a lot better now than when we started out. But she drives me crazy too.”

  Roth laughed at the comment. “How you doing today?”

  “Better now that I’m here,” Carrie admitted. “I didn’t realize how much I missed this place until just now.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  Roth took her elbow and led the way into the moonbase interior. Once inside the main base, it started to look familiar. The food court off the hangar area was crowded with people who were talking, gossiping, and generally enjoying their lives working on the moon.

  “Your old apartment has someone new in it,” Roth explained. “But George found a place for you on level twelve. That’s close to plenty of restaurants.”

  “Sounds perfect.” Carrie suspected there was a lot of coordination going on behind the scenes. Level twelve was the best location on the moon. She hoped that no one had been inconvenienced on her account.

  They stepped off into the gravity well, the eighty-foot-wide dual-gravity shaft, universally used by Moonbase occupants as a do-it-yourself elevator to the lower levels where most of the residences and shopping areas were located. Carrie was glad to feel her old instincts kick in. Although Roth kept a hand on her elbow, she would have reached the twelfth level on her own.

  Until you got the hang of it, overshooting was not uncommon. Back when she lived in Moonbase, she would hang out with friends and try to spot newcomers that way; people with an embarrassed expression trying surreptitiously to go up or down one level.

  Roth steered her away from the broad arched corridor that housed the restaurants and shops she remembered so well. Instead, he took her down a quiet residence walkway lined on either side with dwarf maple trees. The pavement was a faux finished brick sidewalk that was easy on her feet. The residences were located twenty feet behind low-height decorative wrought-iron fences. The high arched ceilings gave the corridor an impression that it was an outdoor city street in a genteel neighborhood.

  “Here we are,” Roth announced in front of a New York looking brownstone facade. “Will this do you?”

  Carrie squeezed his arm. “You know it will. This is the most beautiful living area on the moon as I recall. Please tell me you didn’t make anyone move.”

  Roth chuckled. “I promise. Who was here before, George?”

  The Wallace family, George’s voice said to both Carrie and Roth. They shipped out last week on Colony Fifteen.

  “Fifteen?” Carrie was surprised. “I thought you had done about thirty by now.”

  Roth shook his head. “The attack really set us back. We lost our big replicators and it’s taken us a while to get the immigration pipeline started again. The US is still a mess; they hate us now. China too for that matter. But don’t worry about that today.” Roth gestured her toward the front door. “Get comfortable, have something to eat. I asked Stefanie Owens to drop by tomorrow afternoon and see how you’re doing.”

  “Is she the shrink?”

  Roth grinned. “She certainly is. George told her who you are, but that’s about it. I’ll check in on you in a couple of days.”

  Sadie, Carrie sent. Please send my medical background to the doctor. No need to hold anything back.

  Acknowledged, Sadie replied.

  With that, Roth departed and Carrie toured her new digs. She was pleasantly surprised by the Art Deco-style interior, a casual elegance that was retro but livable. Inside the front door was a formal entry area with a spacious living room to one side. The home included two master bedroom/bath combinations, and even a back door. Behind the apartment a large communal garden had been carved out of the rock, shared by other families in her row of apartments.

  Nice place. Carrie had forgotten the artistic style that went into the design of everything inside of Moonbase. Living aboard Lulubelle, the urgency of fighting the war preempted such considerations. Shipboard life was spartan and mission focused. Here, the emphasis was on community. It was a good place to heal.

  By the next afternoon Carrie was bored out of her mind. I must be getting better, she thought. I feel like I should be busy.

  A knock on the front door meant Doctor Owens had arrived.

  Once the two women were settled in the living room, Owens opened the conversation. “I like what you’ve done with the place,” she said.

  Carrie smiled at the comment. Another facet of a normal life she had ignored. The idea of changing the room style never even occurred to her. She just accepted the quarters the way they were presented and would leave them the same way. “Thanks. It was this way when I found it.”

  “Oh? Well, have you thought about what style you are going to go with?”

  Carrie ignored the question and considered the questioner. Doctor Owens looked to be in her early thirties and was immaculately turned out. Her hair was a rich auburn color and hung elegantly around her shoul
ders. Her makeup was flawless, lips a mixture of orange and red. The tattoo on her left forearm bore a hint of pink skin underneath, indicating it was quite recent and still healing.

  On the outside, the doctor could be in her twenties, trying to look more mature. However, the woman looked competent and Carrie saw a deep intelligence in her eyes. Sadie, what is Doctor Owens’s background, and how old is she?

  Carrie detected a hint of amusement in Sadie’s answer. Six months ago she held an endowed professorship in Harvard’s psychiatric department. She turned sixty-eight last month.

  “Holy crap!” Carrie blurted out, eliciting a smile from Owens. “Forget the furniture, doc. What’s the trick with the implant to look that way?”

  *.*.*.*

  “Good morning,” Carrie said as she entered Roth’s office.

  “Well, well. Look at you. Whatever you’re doing seems to be working.”

  “Stefanie knows her stuff, you have to give her that. For the last two weeks she’s taught me a lot about using the implant. How do I look?”

  “Like the old you. You didn’t want to go Hollywood starlet?”

  Carrie shook her head, amused. “Not my style. Besides, that would be disrespectful to the Ninety-Nines.” Because there was no background information on the population she had wiped out, she borrowed the term Ninety-Nines as a reference to system J99.

  “Fair enough,” Roth said, closing the subject. “George said you have a question.”

  “I’ve been catching up on local events. The attack by Bakkui and all that. Let me help.”

  “I’m not sure what you would like to do,” Roth replied. “We’re fine now; it’s planetside that’s still suffering.”

  “Planetside is what I’m talking about,” Carrie confirmed. “I’ve got a few ideas that might be worth investigating. Probably nothing, but I’d like to help somewhere.”

  “Want to share?”

  “I’m going to take a run at Cesar Morán, but don’t spread it around just yet. I don’t want to embarrass myself any further. I still feel like everyone here is looking at me funny. I know that’s all in my mind, but it’s making me a little gun-shy.”

  Roth gestured to the door. “Be my guest. That’s a good idea. I hadn’t thought of that. And technically, you’re in command. You can do whatever you want.”

  Carrie held up both hands, denying his statement. “Don’t say that; not even jokingly. You know I don’t feel that way.”

  “Okay, sorry. Didn’t mean to pile on. I’m just acknowledging you have a lot of experience you may not recognize. You’ve been out there for a year, dealing with other planets. I know you were part of a huge tragedy, but you saved six other entire civilizations. I actually read Luke’s reports, every single one, and he gives you most of the credit.”

  “He does that to everyone,” Carrie pointed out, a little embarrassed by the praise.

  “I take that into account. But Luke is a visionary who surrounds himself with people who can do the job. You fall into that category. It might surprise you, but I already know what you’re thinking. So does Luke.”

  The statement caught Carrie off guard. “What do you mean? I’m not thinking of anything in particular. I just want to check out a couple of ideas.”

  “I’m not talking about here. I’m talking about your plan to send someone to the backside of Bakkui space. You want to do that yourself because it’s a suicide mission.”

  Carrie gaped at Roth. How the hell did he guess that? “That’s not true! The s-s-suicide part I mean.” That fact that she stammered over the word made her sound guilty. “I mean…”

  “Don’t worry. Governor Lindsey sent word that you two discussed the concept so I understand where it’s coming from. And Stefanie already said you’re not planning to off yourself in the next day or so. But she emphasized that the kind of trauma you’ve had will never fully heal.”

  “That doesn’t mean I can’t be useful,” Carrie argued.

  “I know,” Roth agreed. “But you and I should talk about the risks of covert operations before you get too serious. And I think it’s smart to start with a project here in system before taking off on something bigger.”

  “I’m not planning to disappear on a crazy whim,” Carrie emphasized.

  “I believe you. That’s why I gave you the go ahead. We keep trying to establish diplomatic relations with the US, but they still blame Luke for being attacked. China is even worse. They’re practically in a civil war now and all the ASEAN countries are nervous. Anyway, if you can get us back in good graces with North America, be my guest.”

  Carrie left Roth’s office with ambivalent feelings. She had no idea she was so transparent. It was a little unsettling, especially if she was considering something in the vein of spy work. It would be hard to be a secret agent if everyone she met knew exactly what she was thinking.

  But this wasn’t the time to worry about future possibilities, however unlikely. She needed to see someone on Mars first. She headed toward the main hangar.

  *.*.*.*

  Having seen the physical changes to Moonbase, Carrie thought she was somewhat prepared for the sight of New Rome, the capital city on Mars, but still she gasped at the spectacle. If she thought the spires and skyscrapers around Moonbase were inspiring, the incredible mixture of structures that surrounded the original colony ship, Demeter, was just the opposite.

  New Rome was comforting in its own unique way. It was like looking down on a modern-day London. Old and new architectural styles were jumbled together haphazardly. One massive building that bore a Tudor exterior sat next to a towering pagoda where the periodic turned-up rooflines exuded an Asian flair.

  Sadie set down on a marked landing pad in front of a governmental structure, not far from the permanently grounded Demeter that now served as the Martian AI.

  Hi, Demeter, Carrie sent to the colony ship. He was the Commander’s first experiment in sending thousands of colonists to another planet. Mars had been the training ground for what it took to establish a successful colony in another star system.

  Today, shuttles ran back and forth between Mars and Moonbase several times a day. In fact, an entire network of in-system transportation routinely took researchers to the small scientific communities that had been established throughout the solar system.

  Greetings, Admiral Faulkner, the colony ship replied. Welcome to Mars. Governor Meyer is in her office. Third floor of the Forum Building, suite 317. The Martian AI sounded very businesslike.

  Just like Sadie did in the Moonbase One hangar and everywhere else she landed, a crowd gathered around Carrie’s yacht. It was understandable. Her multiple weapon systems, mounted from top to bottom, were unlike any normal shuttle. The technology itself had been augmented into Alliance fighters, but civilians rarely saw it up close.

  “I’m not sure how long I’ll be,” Carrie told Sadie. “I’ll let you know when I have a better idea.”

  “Very well, Admiral,” Sadie replied. “I’ll visit with the sightseers for a few minutes and then wait in orbit for your call.”

  Carrie left her spacecraft and politely fended off questions from the gathering onlookers. “I don’t know,” she replied to each inquiry. “You’ll have to ask the shuttle.”

  Carrie was glad she had dressed conservatively. Her business suit let her quickly blend in among the Martians gathering in the plaza.

  Behind her, Sadie had started to lecture, orienting her answers toward the many youngsters that gathered with their parents. It sounded like they all wanted to know what kind of warcraft Sadie was and did she know Annie, the famous Commander’s Woman, who had flown something similar just a few months ago to beat back the Bakkui.

  A ten-minute walk brought Carrie to Governor Meyer’s office. The secretary was expecting her and escorted her through to the inner office.

  “Admiral Faulkner, welcome to Mars,” Samantha said, rising from her chair when Carrie was ushered in.

  Carrie blushed, still uncomfortable with her forme
r title. “Please, Governor. Call me Carrie.”

  Carrie had always thought Samantha an attractive woman, but now she looked spectacular. Her white dress hung from her shoulders, clearly fashioned to resemble a Roman toga. It had gold trim and purple edging. The Martian population was obviously taken with the fashion and culture of ancient Rome.

  Samantha chuckled. “All right, then, let’s stick with Sam and Carrie. How have you been? I heard you came back for some R&R. How’s Luke?”

  Carrie had once held Samantha in awe. She was Luke’s original Chief of Maintenance, back when Moonbase was little more than a concept. She had hired Carrie’s boss’s boss, Ambrose Baker. To face Samantha now as an equal was strangely intimidating.

  Carrie exchanged small talk with the Martian governor until Samantha took pity. “Get used to it, Carrie. Once you get one of these august titles, like governor or admiral, you carry it for life. Or until you exchange it for something else; maybe ambassador, or something like that. Anyway, what’s up? Roth said you were going to work on the North American problem. What’s that got to do with us?”

  “I want to visit with Cesar Morán and get his take on what’s going on in the US. Roth said I should check in with you first.”

  Samantha chuckled. “Ah, yes. Our famous exile. I wondered if it was something like that. Of course you can. Use him however you want. He’s been quiet ever since he arrived; apart from a lot of threats the first couple of weeks. Once he learned no one cared who he was, he settled down. Want me to have him brought in?”

  “No, no,” Carrie said. “I’m hoping to get him on my side; maybe recruit him.”

  “Be careful then,” Samantha said. “I only met him once, early on, when he was still complaining. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still something of a snake.”

  *.*.*.*

  Martian homestead law granted a section of previously unclaimed land to anyone who lived on it and improved it over a period of five years. After the initial land rush, most prospective homesteaders moved back to the city center of New Rome.