The Borrega Test

by James Vincett

  McFinn looked at the man. He was of middle height, with narrow waist and broad shoulders. He wore tight black snow pants and jacket. He wore a cloth hat pulled down over his brow and ears. Dark goggles covered his eyes. “Tell me,” McFinn said, “Was he successful?”

  “Sir?”

  “Feth came here to hunt. Was he successful?”

  “No, he wasn’t. You gave him the rack from the wiklik you killed so he would have something to take home. It’s hanging in his office on Finwarden.”

  “All right. Where do you want to climb?”

  “Thabas, the northern face.”

  “You’re in luck, my friend. I was just heading there. You want to stay the night up there? It’s beautiful.”

  “Sure. I’ve got the equipment.”

  “Good.”

  They loaded equipment onto a snow cat and McFinn drove the few kilometers to the base of the northern face of the glacier. “How much experience do you have?”

  “Over a hundred peaks: Mt. Kana on Vastila, The Maxim Range on Barinas, Olympus Mons...“

  “Any glacier experience?”

  “Some. But her-uh…” he stammered. “I know someone who has quite a lot. She-uh-has put me through some simulations.”

  “Okay,” McFinn said.

  The blue and white ice-wall loomed above them. The easiest place to climb Thabas; the height of the ice rose only around a hundred meters. The two men shouldered their backpacks, donned crampons and then started their ascent. The ice here was hard and easily supported a man’s weight. There were fresh marks in the ice; someone else had recently climbed here. Gavin climbed ahead of him, and McFinn soon lost himself in the rhythm and pace of the climb.

  After an hour, McFinn saw Gavin top the ice and disappear from view. A few minutes later McFinn pulled himself up and looked out over the top of the glacier. To his surprise, another person was present; a young woman stared down at him.

  “It’s about time you got here,” the young woman said, “I’ve been waiting for over an hour.” She stood in the sun, hands on her hips, the great crevasses of the glacier spread out behind her.

  McFinn pulled himself up onto the top of the glacier and took off his sunglasses. She had bound up her hair in a bun at the back of her head. She looked at him with sparkling green eyes; when she smiled, her perfect white teeth almost gleamed in the light. She wore a jet-black jacket and snow pants that flattered her figure. Her climbing harness and other gear lay piled next to her. McFinn’s climbing partner walked several meters away and sat on the ice, his back to McFinn and the young woman.

  “You were expecting me?”

  “Of course.”

  “What can I do for you? Ms. ...” McFinn said. He looked at her a little closer, then turned away and gazed at the surrounding mountains.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m sorry. You remind me of someone.”

  “That would probably be Captain Cavanagh,” the woman said, “your former commanding officer.” She drank from her canteen. “When she died the Union lost an outstanding and loyal officer.”

  “How did you…?” McFinn stared at her and then went down on one knee. “Your Majesty!”

  “Stand up, Commander,” Marie said. She stepped forward and grabbed him by the arms. As he stood, their faces almost touched. They were close; she looked up at him, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. McFinn stepped back and gazed out over the glacier.

  “To what do I owe this pleasure, your Majesty?” he asked.

  “I’ve got a job for you, Commander,” she said. She sat on the ice and put on her sunglasses. “Sit.”

  McFinn sat down about a meter from Marie-Élise Singh Caroillon des Destillières, Consul of the Hominin Union, Imperatrix of the Armed Forces, Defender of Hominin Life. His heart jumped into in his throat and he felt like throwing up. The two of them looked toward the distant coast.

  “I credit you with keeping me on the Throne before I even sat on it,” she said. “Kilgore, Freedman and the other conspirators wanted me dead.”

  “I was only doing my duty, and I was just lucky, or unlucky, depending on how you want to look at it.” He shrugged.

  She laughed. “I’ve come to the right man!”

  “What can I do for you, your Majesty?”

  “What do you know about the situation in the Naati Hegemony?”

  “Nothing, your Majesty. I was exiled to Logistics, and for the last eight years I’ve commanded an aging rust-bucket of a space station far from the Neutral Zone.”

  She laughed a deep throaty sound that echoed off the glacier and the surrounding mountains. “Grand Admiral Magoro did exactly what I told her to do.”

  McFinn looked at her.

  “You thought it was Commodore Singh, or even Admiral Pendleton, that sent you to this place, didn’t you? No, they wanted to give you your own command after the destruction of the Angau Coch and Cavanagh’s death. Remember the old saying? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. They wanted to keep an eye on you.”

  McFinn almost screamed at her. “You could have said something!”

  “Now don’t be angry, Commander. “ She wagged a finger at him, but she had a teasing smile. “I needed to keep you safe and insulated.”

  “For what?”

  “You’re not that much different from Admiral Kilgore, Commander. You believe in the Union as much as he did, what it means to the survival of the Human race, except you’re an idealist. Unlike him, your ego and ambition have yet to eclipse your duty. And you have not succumbed to cynicism, unlike so many other officers.”

  You have no idea. “That’s what Lillian used to say.”

  “I wanted to make sure you weren’t corrupted, and the proof I have is right here. Despite being sent to a backwater, you didn’t resign your commission, you didn’t engage in illegal activities to enrich yourself. You did the exact opposite. Here I find you on some God-forsaken glacier in the middle of nowhere, testing yourself; kept on ice until I needed you.”

  McFinn smiled and sighed. “I serve at the pleasure of the Crown.”

  She smiled. “On the third moon of Anuvi III, the Naati combined the DNA of the Harbingers with their own genetic sequence. Since that event fifteen years ago, the Harbinger DNA has spread throughout the Hegemony. Their numbers are small, but this new generation is stronger, smarter, and more disciplined. And rumor has it many have developed telepathic abilities.”

  “A threat?”

  “That’s the question, Commander. Right now, it looks like the Hegemony is in the opening stages of a civil war. The new generation has matured quickly; they have managed to occupy key positions in the bureaucracy below the Command Authority. The old guard is getting nervous: lines are being drawn; they’re taking sides.”

  “An opportunity.”

  “The conservative faction of the Senate wants the Union to strike if the Naati begin to fight each other. The GID agrees. The liberal faction wants to wait and see if these new Naati are more peaceful.”

  “Your Majesty, it really doesn’t matter what they want. What do you want?”

  She looked at him over her sunglasses, her eyes wide. “I want peace, Commander. Ever since I ascended the Throne, the Union has seen unparalleled prosperity. I do not want that threatened. The question is does the new generation of Naati want peace with the Union? If they are a threat, we must fight them when they are weak.”

  “This is all very interesting, your Majesty, but I still don’t know what you want from me.”

  “A faction of the old guard has approached us for assistance.”

  “What? The spineys are asking us for help? That’s rich!”

  “A little respect, please, Commander,” she sniffed. “They have stated emphatically that if the new generation were to gain power it would be a disaster for both the Union and the Hegemony. They have promised an extensive peace treaty and reparations in return for our help.”

  “They didn’t care about such a disaster before, your Maj
esty. This is only about who holds power.”

  “That may well be, Commander, but we need to judge for ourselves. It would be foolish not to speak with them. I’m sending Frances Arrington, Senator for Phoenix, as my representative. You will be her attaché.”

  “Your Majesty, I’m not a diplomat. I don...“

  “You have fought them and survived. Your actions in the Anuvi system are well known. Your presence serves as a threat of consequence, a reminder of what the Imperial Navy is capable of doing. You’re a creative officer, quick-thinking, modest, and a real leader.” She leaned towards him as he blushed and whispered in his ear. “And women like you.”

  God knows why. “You’re not asking, are you?”

  She laughed the deep laugh again; it echoed off the glacier and surrounding mountains. “What would you like in return? I’ll start by promoting you. Is there anything else you want, Captain McFinn?”

  “Let me think about it.”

  “Don’t think about it too long, Captain. You will leave with me, tomorrow.”

  Tomorrow! “Your Majesty, I need...“

  “The Imperial Guard is gathering your things as we speak. The shuttle will come and pick us up in the morning.” She stood and held out a hand. McFinn grasped it and she pulled him to his feet. She was strong.

  “What about my dogs?”

  She took off her sunglasses and looked up at him. She had lovely green eyes. “I’ll take care of them until you return. For now, Sergeant Gavin will set up our camp and cook us a meal as we watch the sunset,” she said, looking at him, still holding his hands.

  My God! Is this a date?

  “Tell me about your final moments on the artifact in the Anuvi system; I’ve read your report, but I want to hear you tell it.”

  McFinn swallowed. A night with the Consul on a frozen river of ice. Who’s gonna believe this?

  Matthias

  Sergeant Paul Matthias trudged through the mud toward the vehicle shelters while he kept an eye on the surrounding jungle. He hated it out here in the native zones: plumbing was non-existent and so the soldiers had to relieve themselves in plastic porta-potties that quickly became stinking shacks overflowing with excrement. At least the sky was clear again; the rain last night had been punishing, and he wondered what the roads would be like for the upcoming operation.

  The mud sucked at his boots as he made his way to the vehicle shelters. Two APCs passed him, chugging through the mud, sunk almost halfway up the treads. Electric motors whining, they pulled up onto the large concrete pad near the checkpoint gate and began to disgorge a platoon of infantry.

  So, they’re going to go ahead with it.

  He stepped up onto the solid concrete floor of the tank shelter and through the vehicle access door. These were portable plastic and ceramic huts that each housed an MA-2260 Anti-Infantry Vehicle.

  “So, like…can you do it with humans?” asked Benny, the driver. He lounged on a portable chair, a stimdrink in his hand, trying very hard to keep his eyes off the gunner’s behind. He had a mop of sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

  “Benny, do you have any shame?” Matthias asked as he sat and cracked a stimdrink; built like the vehicle he commanded, he was short and wide with thick limbs, a round face, and thinning blonde hair on his head.

  “Didn’t you have a Hominin biology course in secondary school?” Serene said, looking back over her shoulder. She worked on the control conduit to one of the anti-infantry lasers on the vehicle. Her short-cropped silver hair shone red in the light streaming through the windows, a complement to her golden skin. She had just joined the crew of the vehicle; the Captain ordered the previous gunner evacuated to Division HQ for contracting a nasty lung disease. Matthias had to admit that she filled out her fatigues quite nicely, but she was smart, too.

  Smarter than any of the others.

  “Well, yeah, but…”

  “Look, Yathurians and Humans are genetically related,” Serene said while she soldered a contact. “The theory is that during prehistory some ancient alien civilization or civilizations transplanted Humans to worlds near Earth. This also explains the Linu—“

  “That doesn’t really answer my question, does it?”

  “Yes, Yathurians can ‘do it’ with humans,” she said, annoyed, “but there is no offspring.”

  “Cool,” Benny said with a shit-eating grin on his face, “so, whaddya say?”

  “What?” Serene turned around and put her hands on her hips. Her green eyes smoldered, her mouth a slit in her v-shaped face.

  “You and me, y’know-“

  “That’s enough of that shit, Benny,” Matthias said. “You wanna be cited for conduct unbecoming again? Besides, Lieutenant Po just arrived. We’re on.”

  “We are?” Benny’s eyes lit up. “Awesome!”

  Right on cue, Matthias’ pockcomp chirped. “Sergeant Matthias?” It was Captain Cerny, the checkpoint commander.

  “Yes, ma’am!”

  “We’re behind schedule so we’re going ahead with the briefing now. Get your ass over to the northern entrance.”

  “Yes, ma’am! On my way!” Matthias tapped his communicator. “Let’s get our shit together.” He stood and drained his stimdrink. “Benny, wake up the rest of the crew.” He tossed the plastic container into the recycle bin as he stepped back into the mud.

  The checkpoint was at the northern edge of Native Zone 665-Z, twenty klicks southwest of division HQ for the 3rd Ranger Division, the northern continent of Aluba, on the world of Vanyirvon. Paul, his crew, the crew of two more anti-infantry vehicles, and a company of infantry, were stationed here to oversee security around the warren of native villages in the nearby jungle. Ever since the Union had set foot on this world, the natives had proved extremely troublesome. The native elite had made common cause with the Union, but thousands of remote clans did not believe in the treaty with the Hominin Union. They were a warlike species, fighting amongst each other as well as against the Union. Insurgent and terrorist activity had more than quintupled over the twenty-five years since first contact. Most of the natives did not believe in using technology for food or goods production, but they enthusiastically adopted Hominin means to kill each other and the homs charged with harvesting and exporting the rich ores and fine wood from the surface of the world.

  Things had gotten so bad in the area that they had to send in the best. They had to send in the Rangers.

  The checkpoint was a hectare of cleared jungle overlooking a muddy river. Large concrete berms three meters high and festooned with sensors surrounded the checkpoint. Two platoons of Rangers kept constant vigil over the surrounding jungle and on the trail that ran right through the checkpoint. Large metal gates in the walls remained open during daylight hours, so the locals could pass through the checkpoint; the rest of the outpost was isolated behind two-meter high concrete walls.

  Matthias peeked over the walls at the constant stream of natives moving through the checkpoint. Each stood about a meter and-a-half high. They had long arms, but short legs and big feet. A wide and thick bony ridge covered the top of their squat heads; the ends of the ridge flared outward several centimeters like a pair of horns. The creatures had a set of long ears sticking out of the side of their heads, and deep brown, almost black, eyes. A lantern jaw held a thin-lipped mouth with small, sharp teeth. Two slit-like nostrils served for a nose. The adult males were largest, the females smaller and with obvious breasts. Dark brown hair covered their arms and shoulders, with the bare skin greenish-gray in color. It looked like there were three or four extended families passing through the checkpoint: a single large male leading each group, followed by his harem of females and several small young. The females wore harnesses and pulled several two-wheeled carts filled with food or goods. The males wore colorful tunics and cloaks, but the females wore drab brown shifts. The creatures spoke in grunts and screams, the males frequently cuffing the females or the young.

  Fucking lopers. Matthias shook his head and walked toward
the north entrance.

  The Imperial Exploration Service briefed all forces stationed on the planet about the natives. Before the arrival of the Union, the natives had a pre-industrial civilization similar to aboriginal cultures on Earth. Xenosociologists determined that some of the clans had begun large-scale agriculture within the last few centuries. A few of the clans had even built megastructures, large cylinders or tetrahedrons of stone, several tens of meters in height, which showed the beginning of organized government.

  The APCs near at the northern entrance looked long, low, and wide, with a squat main body and a forward compartment, or ‘head’, for the driver and gunner. Mounted on the roof were two laser cannon in rotatable turrets, one each over the forward and aft ends of the main section. Two crewmembers operated the vehicle from inside the head, and the wide body carried around twenty soldiers and their weapons. Two wide tracks propelled the vehicle. The soldiers had already set up tarps between the two vehicles.

  Matthias spotted Lieutenant Po talking with the outpost commander, Captain Cerny. Several other men and women sat in portable chairs, laughing and joking. Matthias spotted the two other AIV commanders, Sergeants Denola and Krupp, both men he had served with his entire time on Vanyirvon. Matthias took a seat.

  “All right; settle down,” Captain Cerny said. She was short and thin, with straight black hair and Asian features. “Looks like Division is going to go through with this. We have all worked with Lieutenant Po before so he is no stranger. I would like to say I’m glad he’s leading this op; he’s the one with the most experience. He and his platoon have hunted down more insurgent leaders than any other, so we’re lucky to have him. Lieutenant?”

  Po stood and nodded at Cerny. He was of middle height, with a lean, hard body, shaved head, and a handlebar moustache. “Good morning people. This whole world is a seething mass of rage, and has been since the crew of the Lalande first stepped foot on it twenty-five years ago. This shitball is almost not worth it, but we gotta keep the resources flowing.” The soldiers laughed. “Division wants this area pacified. There are newly surveyed deposits in the region, lanthanides and other rare metal ores, of uncommonly high concentration, I’m told, which are about to be exploited. We need to arrest the insurgent leader responsible for most of the trouble in this area.”