Hawk Genesis: War (Flight of the Hawk)

by Robert Little

  The Marine leaped to his feet and asked, “Permission to shoot all enemy personnel found within the premises.” John sighed, “Permission denied; the paperwork would consume all my free time for weeks. Instead, let’s try to pretend that the Marines didn’t make a serious mistake when your wealthy family bribed them into taking you off their hands.”

  Karl protested, “Sir, my family is dirt poor.” John nodded, “It is now.” Karl laughed.

  They descended to the main floor and approached the entrance, and two privates, who assumed a position of attention. John told Karl, “Sergeant, please open the door.”

  Out on the street, Rachel asked, “Sergeant, did you notice that the door has recently been repaired?” Karl said, “No Miss. Was there an incident of some sort?” she smiled and said, “Yesterday, Federal Commissioner Chamberlin attempted to leave by that very same door. Finding that it was locked, he kicked it.” Sergeant Miskovic asked, “Miss, did he injure anything?” She said, “The door sergeant, he injured the door.” The sergeant provided an utterly innocent smile and told her, “An excellent and highly unusual result – normally, the door wins.”

  They toured the relatively ancient building again and John transferred a surprisingly small amount of dollars to an account of the nearly bankrupt owner. As soon as they were finished, John said, “Sergeant, we need comm gear, and a communications team to go through this building from top to bottom. General Chin has told me that his systems have been repeatedly attacked and often penetrated. We cannot afford anything even remotely similar, mainly because we are Navy, or, in your case, Navy lite.” The sergeant commed his shuttle, and within moments it lifted off the pad.

  Rachel began compiling a list of furniture and equipment that would be required.

  By late next afternoon, a Navy security team had ensured that communications into and out of the building were secure. Although she was not a techie, Rachel agreed that the naval personnel knew what they were doing. John spoke to his wife, and told her that he’d found quarters for her and her sisters, adding that it should be just a few days until he could bring them down. She said, “I don’t mind sparsely furnished, as long as my husband is part of those furnishings. I must say, husband mine, your reputation has proven to be very beneficial. Everyone knows who you are, and it is making our hopefully very short stay here quite pleasant. Um, may I ask, have you met Army General Chin?” John laughed, “Yes, and may I ask, why do you ask?” She giggled, “I better not say.” John said, “You may assume that the rumors don’t do him justice.” She laughed.

  John made no further effort to communicate with General Chin, but stopped by the café every day. He didn’t try to speak to the owners, nor did they give him the opportunity.

  Rachel received orders transferring her to army headquarters. John called the duty officer and told him that he was countermanding her orders. He added, “If there is any question about this, contact my office and speak to my aide.”

  She was listening to him, and said, “Sir, I am an officer in the federal army – I can’t see how this can help my career.” John asked, “Do you want a career in the army? What will you do when your enlistment is up?” She said, “I don’t know sir. I haven’t…I…for obvious reasons, my future is up in the air.” John nodded, thinking of the life of a federal on a rebel world, “I understand, but what I mean is, do you wish to remain in the army?” She said, “No sir, I have a degree, and I thought I’d go back for my teaching credentials.” John smiled, “I was a professor before the war – history, oddly enough. We seem to have a great deal in common.” She said, “Yes sir, I was well briefed prior to your arrival.” John looked back up at her, but she held up a hand, “Not in that way sir. I simply meant that I was given background information that I thought at the time would help me to better perform my duties. I was also asked to keep the army informed so that we – it – could better assist you to carry out your duties. It was only after your arrival that I began to see the matter from another viewpoint.”

  John asked, “What is your take on the army’s approach to pacifying Grenoble?” She shook her head, “Sir, there was nothing to pacify until after the army arrived. I sometimes think the desired outcome is to create dissent.”

  John asked, “Follow that line of reasoning: what would the army gain from that?” She looked down at the desk for a few seconds before saying, “After centuries of peace, and little to do, the army has suddenly found a purpose, and has grown exponentially – perhaps someone, or several someone’s have decided it doesn’t want to return to its former almost non-existence.” John nodded, “After every major or protracted war, the country that won found itself full of corrupt parasitical bottom-feeders. The Navy Board has spent trillions of dollars to develop and build a huge navy. For most of the war, we fought in ships that were as dangerous to their own crews as they were to the enemy. It’s only been in the last year that we began to get new ships, and even then they were inferior to what was needed and what the navy could have built.”

  They looked intently at each other. She said, “Were you this cynical five years ago?” John asked, “Have you ever read Rumi?” She shook her head, and he added, “I don’t any more.”

  Chapter 40

  Over the next two weeks John found ways to assume his responsibilities without having to turn to the army. His offices acquired forty Marines in residence, plus a small crew of naval technicians, who were kept very busy keeping his comm equipment up and running. Within just a few days of the establishment of his office, it was apparent that the vast majority of the attacks on their systems were the product of a very well educated population rather than an organized military type response. Many of the attacks were untraceable, but many were not, and virtually all were traced to youth under the age of fifteen, sometimes far younger.

  John finally got a response from his daily visits to the small restaurant. As he stood to pay his bill, the husband entered from the kitchen and asked him about his meal. John told him it was fine, and the owner said, “If you were serious, be in your offices this afternoon.”

  John nodded, and left without speaking.

  One by one, a series of people entered his building, using different entrances at different times. It was almost amusing.

  John gathered his guests in a large, sparsely furnished meeting room on the second floor. His technicians had already installed reasonably good measures, ensuring that what was said in the room stayed there.

  One by one his guests curtly introduced themselves. He had a trio from the financial sector, two from the former national government, one from the city, and five from industry, offering a clue as to the relative areas of importance to Grenoble.

  Once everyone was settled and offered refreshments, John introduced himself and got to the point, “Ladies, gentlemen, my name is John Chamberlin. Prior to the war I was a professor of history in the city of Chavez, on Maya. The war has introduced many changes to my life, as it has yours. We cannot change the past, but perhaps we can affect the future. The war may already have concluded; if not, it is certain to end very soon. Once the shooting stops, the military will relinquish control of the occupied systems, such as, for example, Grenoble, and the federal civilian government will take over. I have been informed by Admiral Grigorivich that once that takes place, his appointees, such as myself, may be replaced. Once that happens, I hope to return to Maya and resume my former career. Meanwhile, I am the Federal Commissioner for Grenoble. So, my question is: how may I assist you?”

  He managed to surprise his guests.

  One, Mr. Meyer, asked, “What do you want from us?” John sighed, “Sir, now that the shooting has stopped, do you believe that things will return to the way they were before the shooting started? Do you think that after five years of bloodshed, the twenty-two federal worlds will embrace the sixteen? Do you believe that we’ll all just forget the thousands upon thousands of dead?” He waited.

  Mr. Meyer said, slowly, “No, it will take many years.” John sa
id, “It will take many years even if everyone wants peace.” He stopped again.

  Mr. Meyer nodded, “You think that not everyone will…yes, General Chin.”

  John didn’t say anything, just waited. Another visitor, this one an elderly woman, said, “You believe that the occupation forces here on Grenoble, that they may want us to resist, to fight back?” John asked, “Were that the case, who would benefit?”

  She nodded, “They would bring in more occupation troops, stay longer, create yet more problems for us. Some of our youth would react badly, people would be injured, or worse. We of course have figured that out.” John asked, once again, “How may I help you?”

  Mr. Meyer said, “Mr. Chamberlin, since you’re asking, perhaps you could give us a hint of where you’re going with this?” John said, “Your economy has crashed, as it has on the other fifteen worlds. If there is no hope, no possibility of a good future, what happens to your youth? I think that Grenoble needs to focus on resurrecting your civilian manufacturing sector, begin creating products, markets and increase exports. I pledge to help. I may be able to obtain federal loans or grants, and I can help with export licenses and visas. Whatever you do, I suggest that it be quick, and I also suggest that you work very hard to ensure that your people continue to not react to provocations. I am limited in what I can do, although if the army flagrantly abuses its power I can step in.”

  The elderly woman asked, “Why the rush?” John said, “If, or when I am replaced, you may find that the new federal Commissioner will focus more on the dead and injured than the living. Think as if you are at war, you have little time, and the issue is critical.”

  He spent the next few minutes getting to know his visitors. He hadn’t done that at the beginning for the obvious reason that his guests were highly suspicious and unlikely to open up. In response to one of the questions put to him, he explained that Grenoble would have to create a new constitution, that he would oversee the process and had the authority to accept, modify or reject it. That didn’t go down well, even though they had already figured it out.

  As the meeting was wrapping up, Mr. Renaud asked, “You have said nothing about nuclear weapons; why is that?” John nodded – it had to come up sometime – and said, “If you know anything about my military career, you know that the first use of a nuclear weapon was against my people, and was a clear violation of numerous long-standing treaties, going back hundreds of years. I came to Grenoble with the assumption that your planet was where the weapons were designed and built. As it happens, General Chin has not turned up any evidence that those weapons came from here, although they were used in the defense of your system. I have been informed that the use of nuclear devices in space has not been determined to be a violation of any accord or treaty, although that may change. As a result, I am free to concentrate on winning the peace, bringing us back to square one.”

  Mr. Renaud asked, “Would you mind telling us about that incident? We’ve heard almost nothing.” John thought about the question for several seconds before deciding, “After Orleans mobile forces were defeated, it mounted a strong planetary defense, the first time in the war. My forces exploited a weakness and established three small bases on the edge of the continent. Certain people on Orleans launched a standard heavy missile. It was hit before it could reach its target, but detonated, vaporizing all life for several square kilometers, and releasing significant and long-lasting radiation. It was later determined that the missile was a production weapon, had been manufactured off-planet, but had been modified on Orleans for use in atmosphere.”

  Mr. Renaud asked an interesting question, “Have the federals used nuclear weapons?” John said, “The only instance of nuclear weapons being used – other than Orleans – was by the defenses here in Grenoble. A large number were launched, most were destroyed, but some got through, instantly killing several thousand men and women.”

  There were no additional questions about nuclear weapons.

  These people were intimately familiar with the inevitable results of war, and it was probable that most of them were either related or knew someone who was now nothing more than a grave, and even that was probably empty. That said, John’s words and tone of voice chilled the room.

  John brought the meeting to a close by telling them, “You no longer have a planetary government. Orleans is the largest municipal government on Grenoble, and its mayor has refused to see me or communicate in any way. I have an enormous amount of power, and could easily force him to come to me; I have not done so, and don’t want to. However, as I stated at the beginning of this meeting, you have a small window of time in which to ensure that Grenoble transitions quickly and relatively painlessly back into the federation. I think that I have demonstrated that this is both inevitable and desirable, and I hope that your mayor comes to feel the same, and will meet with me within, say, five days?”

  His visitors refrained from shaking his hand, but they’d listened, which is all that he had hoped for.

  As it happened, via an earpiece, his aide had given him a great deal of information on each of his visitors, and he found it interesting that the people who asked the most questions were factory owners. He hoped he could exploit that interest, and he also hoped that the mayor would get the hint that he only had five more days to terminate his intransigence. Finally, he hoped he had five days.

  Three days later the mayor’s office commed John, and asked for a meeting. John agreed, despite the fact that the mayor refused to come to him.

  He left his Marines and aide behind, and presented himself in the lobby a few minutes early. He was silently escorted down into an office in the basement, where the older man simply pointed to a closed door and assumed a position next to it. John smiled at him and opened it. Inside, he discovered a young man sitting behind a battered desk. There were two more obvious guards who may have been armed – probably were armed – and a young man who may have been a secretary or aide.

  John walked up to the desk and said, “Good afternoon Mr. Badeau, my name is John Chamberlin. I am pleased to meet you at long last.” Mr. Badeau seemed to be a few years younger than John, and also didn’t seem to be nearly as pleased as John claimed to be.

  Not bothering to stand, the young man brusquely asked, “What is it you want?”

  John chose to ignore the man’s intentional rudeness, “As you may know, the federation has appointed me to the position of Commissioner for Grenoble. It has provided me with a very long list of responsibilities as well as the means to carry them out. As an example, I stand prepared to return city hall to your jurisdiction, should you desire that. I have been empowered to assist your people to draw up a new constitution, I have the ability to provide small grants and loans to both business and civic institutions, and just as soon as you or a designated representative chooses to meet with me, we can begin the process of returning the affairs of Grenoble to your own people. Do you have any questions?”

  Mayor Badeau’s face had gradually flushed with anger as John progressed through his short speech. He said, “I refuse to accept that you have any jurisdiction whatsoever.”

  John nodded politely, “In that case, it’s been a pleasure to meet you.”

  John turned and left the office. It hadn’t actually been a pleasure, but his faith in God allowed for what he would term as polite misdirection.

  He recorded the entire process, including his entrance into the building, and ten minutes after he returned to his offices, the recording was available to the entire planet.

  That afternoon Rachel took John to St. Germaine. They walked around the small town, and were largely ignored by the inhabitants, although a few acknowledged her.

  Her parents turned out to be very nice. Their careers as educators made it very easy to like them, and her mother’s cooking converted John into an instant fan. Their savings had been used up years earlier, and they were clearly in difficult straits.

  Over tea, John asked, “Is there any possibility that you will be able to
regain your teaching positions here in St. Germaine?” Her father said, “Unfortunately, I don’t see that ever happening.” John nodded, “Would the two of you consider coming to work for me?” Her mother asked, “You have a pressing need of history professors?” John shook his head, “No, but I do have need of local experts who know the planet, its history and people. I don’t actually have a specific job description to fill, but I have need of people who place the actual needs and requirements of Grenoble ahead of the illusion that Earth is just going to forget the war ever happened. I understand that you would need to talk it over amongst yourselves, but I am hopeful that you will accept. It would mean that you would have to relocate to Orleans, but I have plenty of space, and can easily acquire whatever you need. I know you have a home here, and would have to either sell it or find someone to take care of it. Actually, now that I think about it, I do have need of your skills and credentials as educators. What would you think about a part-time job as teachers to two teen-aged girls, plus probably several other children?”

  Mr. Schwartz asked, “What children would those be?” John said, “My wife has two younger sisters, Jordan and Jennifer, who are presently living in orbit until I can bring them down. In addition, several of my Marines are married and have children, and I would like to be able to enable their families to transfer. I might just add, one of them knew your son-in-law, and greatly admired him.”