by M. Alan Marr
“Dev?”
“I see it!” But the controls are not responding. The trajectory moves across the city to the Admiralty complex itself. With no other options, Dev rolls the throttle grips full aft into the Grav-Lock position. The gravity system activates. Instantly, the ship flattens out from the dive, causing both men to heave under the strain. The fighter plummets flatly downward as the gravity drive seeks contact with the surface. The fuel alarm triggers at one percent and begins flashing the final count down into the decimal points, the ground is coming up extremely fast.
Chaz grabs the canopy frame. “Dev—!”
Dev rolls the throttle grips full forward, reversing the gravity drive and surging power to the ventral thrusters. The pristine ground in the middle of the Admiralty Command Headquarters quad suddenly indents with the force of the approaching gravitational field, fractures, and is blasted away by the ship’s ventral thrusters forming a substantial crater as the ship comes down. The gravity drive arrests their fall only inches above the floor of the crater. Chaz, surprised they are even still alive, looks at Dev with wide eyes. He is about to speak when the two working engines fail and the ship drops down, hard. All power inside the ship drops off considerably, then goes completely dark. The only sounds are the engine components freely winding down.
“Did we just run out of fuel?” Chaz says incredulously.
Dev lets out a series of quick nervous gasps and then turns to Chaz. For the first time ever, Chaz sees Dev out of breath. He has his answer.
Without power, the canopy motors and turbine braking systems are nonfunctional. Dev and Chaz pull emergency release handles to manually disengage canopy tops so they can push them open and climb off the dead ship. The solid state turbines seem oddly mechanical as they slowly bleed off their energy. The engine intakes pull in enough smoke from the failed engines to fill the crater. As they begin climbing up out of the crater, choking, a squad of security personnel converge at its edge with their weapons drawn. They only see a smoking hole and two coughing unknowns climbing out. At the rim of the crater, Dev looks at the guardsmen.
“Dev Caelestis, Flight Commander!”
The guardsmen relax their stance, relieved to see Humans and not Yeti climbing out of the ground. Dev looks at the nearest soldier. “Report!”
“We don’t know, Commander. Communications are down. There have been attacks, sir.”
Another guardsman helps Chaz to his feet. Dev looks at him and sees he is all right and then waves him to follow. “Come on.” Dev takes off on foot toward the nearby Admiralty headquarters building. Dev turns and shouts to the security detail. “Police that ship!”
Dev enters the Admiralty Fleet Combat Center, keeping Chaz in tow. The FCC looks as Chaz would have expected: large screens dominating a room full of workstations, table displays, and holographic imagers. There is a sort of controlled chaos unfolding around them. There are numerous Admirals and Field Marshals working in several areas, but Dev waits until he sees someone he recognizes. Dev gently taps Chaz’s arm, and they walk across the room to approach the Flight Admiral, who is in bad need of a shave and some sleep. He looks a hell of a lot better than they do.
“Admiral!”
The Flight Admiral looks up from his work. “Dev.” The Admiral sees the conditions of their uniforms. “I hope you bring news, sir.”
“Admiral, Lyra was attacked,” Dev reports, while handing his interlink device to a nearby officer to retrieve Vijay’s dispatches. “Adonis is grounded. The Yeti destroyed part of the settlement and most of the production complex. Commander Vijay is requesting support and a Fleet Tender. They’re maintaining patrol and tending to survivors.”
Chaz notices one of the nearby screens seems to populate with the exact information Dev is describing, as he describes it, including graphics of Lyra, Adonis, the (undamaged) production complex, and a headshot photo of Commander Vijay; the computer is picking up on Dev’s briefing and displaying relevant information. The officer returns Dev’s interlink device.
“We weren’t certain how far the attack went,” the Admiral states plainly.
“Bellerophon was attacked as well, Admiral,” Dev adds, while securing his device to his belt. “Looked like full-scale orbital bombardment.”
“That, we knew about,” the Flight Admiral says. “Bellerophon is not lost, however. The Yeti weapons were imprecise. Impact occurred down in the Obsidian Gorge. By sheer luck, the walls of the gorge contained most of the explosive force, but it sent up a dense column of obsidian into the mesosphere.”
Dev looks at the tabletop display of a Bellerophon tactical map showing the location of the gorge and comments, “The heavy gravity should help bring down the particulate matter.”
“True,” the Admiral agrees. “Those OIs will just have to adapt.”
Dev looks at the enormous star systems board at the front of the combat center and sees several areas flashing red. He asks the obvious question. “Admiral, what happened?”
“Four days ago, proximity alarms near Lyra detected Yeti activity. Warship Calibos responded. They engaged a mothership and reported the area safe. Then we lost contact with them. Adonis was then sent to investigate.” The Admiral signs some paperwork presented to him. “Yesterday, detection picked up Yeti activity in Eridanus. We lost contact with all stations in Eridanus, and we think some of the agro worlds have been targeted as well.”
“Admiral, how did they approach Bellerophon?”
“It wasn’t just Bellerophon,” the Admiral says. “The Orbital Constructs Yard around Penthar reported a large-scale explosion just before the attack. Somehow, the Yeti managed to get a mothership inside Penthar’s defenses, where, I believe, they used the cover of the blast to launch their attack on Bellerophon.”
“We haven’t seen a coordinated attack like this in years.”
“No, we haven’t,” the Admiral says. “Reports are coming in now that the attack is over. We repelled the Yeti and destroyed most of their Brigands, but we took heavy losses.” The Admiral looks at Chaz. “I don’t know you, sir.”
Dev looks somewhat uneasy. “Admiral, sir, this is Lieutenant Commander Chaz Ronaldi.”
“Chaz Ronaldi?”
“Admiral, Commander Chaz is from Earth. Chaz, my honor to present Flight Admiral of the Crown, Rek Davette.”
Chaz speaks with respect. “Admiral, sir.”
The Admiral cautiously nods to Chaz. “Sir.” Then he looks at Dev. “Under different circumstances, I’d ask why you brought an Earth resident here, Commander, but, frankly, I don’t have time to care right now. I trust you’ll look after him.”
“Absolutely, Admiral.”
The Admiral turns to Chaz. “Apologies, sir, but I’m a little preoccupied.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Admiral takes a deep breath and looks at Dev. “How bad is it on Lyra?”
“A lot of casualties, sir,” Dev replies, then points out the damage to the ground map of the Lyran settlement. The computer plots the damage as Dev describes it. “The Brigand followed a strafing line from the garrison base: defensive battery, operations center, officers’ quarters, and barracks. Extensive damage to critical civilian infrastructure. Astroport, medical center, pumping station, comestibles storage, and academic campus. The line terminated midway through the Lyran production facility where the Brigand was dispatched by airborne units.”
The Admiral shakes his head. “That facility provides resources to the Lyran community. Do they have power?”
“No, sir, their reactor’s escape system fired just after Chaz and I landed. When we left, Adonis was attempting to provide limited energy support.”
“We’ll send a reactor team along with the tender.” The Admiral puts a caring hand on Dev’s shoulder. “Dev? It looks like you’ve been on duty for a while. Take some downtime and get cleaned up, but I’d appreciate if you’d stay on Trieste until we sort everything out.”
“Yes, sir.” Dev nods.
“Dismissed.”
Dev is about to salute, but a flood of activity surrounds the Admiral as several officers arrive with reports. No time for pleasantries. Dev backs away smartly and motions for Chaz to follow him. On the way out, Dev informs the Admiral’s aide-de-camp he will be at his residence to get a fresh uniform. He also issues orders to have a fighter prepped and combat ready by the time he returns, just in case.
Outside, the Admiralty grounds seem almost tranquil, except for the smoking crater under guard in the middle of the quad. Several technical crewmen are working near the crater, surveying the damaged fighter. The smoke from the fighter is now just a thin, wispy line. Everyone else must be busy inside the buildings because there is a complete lack of activity outside.
Chaz attempts to be conversational. “I take it this is not a typical day?”
“No. Not at all,” Dev says with trepidation. “These grounds are usually flush with activity.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask, but what happens next?”
“I don’t know, but I’m wondering if this is the aftermath of the incursion . . . or just the beginning.”
“What do you need to do?” Chaz says. “I mean, I know you. You want to get right back out there.”
“Yeah, I do.”
“I’m sure your Admiral knows that as well.”
“Without a doubt.”
“All right. Whatever you do, I’m staying with you.”
“After what happened on Adonis, I’m not letting you out of my sight.” Dev looks around and tries to lighten the mood. “This is not exactly how I envisioned it, and it’s going to sound somewhat trite, but . . . welcome to Trieste.”
“Please, this is my second alien planet.”
Dev manages a slight laugh. “Come on, Earth man.”
They continue through the lush grounds on a cobblestone walkway. Dev glances over toward the crater in the distance.
Chaz looks as well. “Did you intend to land there?”
“After the engines blew, the ocean was going to be our best option. But then we started drifting over land so . . . ”
“Why didn’t we eject?”
“And risk the fighter crashing into the city? No, sir.”
Chaz adds, “Wait a minute, you didn’t know we would survive this.”
“Worst case, the Admiralty would have examined the flight recorders and pieced together what happened.”
“Good thing we didn’t take out the Admiralty.”
“We all know the risks. There’s no one within these walls who wouldn’t sacrifice themselves for the civilians we protect.”
Chaz looks at the crater. “We have a saying on Earth: any landing you can walk away from is a good one.”
Dev laughs. “We say the same thing.”
Chaz and Dev continue walking to the main Admiralty gates, beyond which is the civilian world. The great formal gates, black wrought iron adorned with gold and silver—almost baroque— representations of constellations of the Human cosmos, is breathtaking. The most ornate being Corona Borealis, with Gemma, a bejeweled starburst, as a focal point. The honor guard and sentries stand at attention as the officers approach. Two gatemen open smaller portals within the larger gate and then stand smartly at attention.
Diverting his attention to the outside world before him, the city reminds Chaz of the Pacific Northwest. Different, though—crisper lines, a lot of natural woods, brushed metals, and glass. Clean, that’s how Chaz would describe the architecture. It has a clean look about it. Not at all antiseptic, but fresh, clean, and modern. Not a lot of flashy colors. Outside the Admiralty, life seems to be proceeding as normal.
“Wow,” Chaz comments. “I half expected to see pyramids.”
“Pyramids are a very poor use of space. They do have their uses, though.”
Chaz doesn’t see any litter, and there is a definite range of people, from business types, workers, caregivers, and regular old civilians. None of them appear to have that cranky, urgent it’s-all-about-me vibe so prevalent on Earth. People here look very normal. Chaz half expected everyone to be dressed alike, and but for the military types he saw at the Admiralty, they aren’t at all.
Dev leads Chaz down a set of escalators to the subterranean travel tubes. The transit station reminds Chaz of a brand-new high-tech airport, albeit underground. Soothing spa-like sounds and artsy lighting concepts make the station seem almost blissful. There are many people going about their business, but it is not at all chaotic like the New York subway system. Instead of walking to the train platform on the first level, they descend down another escalator to the next subterranean level moments before the Tertian train arrives. To Chaz, the train seems like a rendition of a near-future Japanese Shinkansen. However, unlike its Earthly counterpart, this train arrives inside a large transparent tube. Clear doors with nearly invisible seams suddenly flash yellow then solid blue as they open in concert with the train doors. There is a slight whoosh of pressurized air as the doors open. The train doors slide open vertically along the curve of the train carriage.
Passengers exit the train much like they do on Earth, although nicer. Many take notice of the conditions of Chaz’s uniform and Dev’s flight suit, and the fact they are both armed. Clearly, these men just saw action. Chaz follows Dev into the train and looks around. The carriage is very large and modern-looking, offering comfortable seating as well as standing/leaning areas. There is no graffiti, no litter. Pleasant tones and a yellow flashing door frame signals a few seconds before turning red and the doors close. The train powers up slightly and then glides through the tube without vibration or shaking. Chaz notices no one sits near them. The train is fairly crowded, but a rather conspicuous space forms around them.
Chaz quietly comments, “We must look terrible. No one wants to sit near us.”
Dev shakes his head and responds equally quiet, “It’s because we’re armed.”
Chaz suddenly feels uncomfortable and covers his weapon with his arm. “Are they afraid we’re going to shoot them?”
“No, civilians here just have a healthy respect for lethal weapons.”
“We’re not in Kansas anymore.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.” Chaz changes the subject. “This is so smooth.”
“The travel tubes connect the city center with what you would call the suburbs. First level tubes make stops locally around the Southern Inhabitance. Second level, like this one, go to mid-range destinations to the surrounding provinces.”
“Is there a third level?”
“Yes. Third level are long-range trains.”
Chaz looks out the windows at the tube supports flashing by. “How fast are we going?”
“The trains operate at cruise speeds of up to eight hundred miles per hour.”
“That’s got to be supersonic.”
“It is,” Dev confirms. “Most provinces in this region lie within about a thousand miles, so from just about anywhere in the Southern Inhabitance, you’re never really more than an hour away.”
Chaz looks out the windows again. The tube is not dark; the tubes themselves are lighted a pleasant blue when the train is up to speed. The previously red illuminated doors are now a deep blue.
“Is the whole thing underground?”
“Yes, it is.” Dev explains, “The tubes are slightly pressurized and use magneto-dynamic repulsion.”
“There are no rails?”
“None. The tubes have magnetic properties that work in concert with the field generated around the train. No part of the train is ever in actual contact with the tube.”
“In other words, there’s no friction.”
“Exactly.” Dev smiles. “You guys are working on a similar system.”
Chaz nods. “Mag-Lev. But they’re not enclosed.”
“Yeah, the tube technology is still a few years away.”
Twenty minutes later, the subterranean train glides to a stop at the Bari Province station. Dev and Chaz exit the train and climb the stairs to the street lev
el. Since Bari Province has no local train service, they have to climb only one flight of stairs to reach the street. They emerge topside to an absolutely beautiful locale.
“Whoa,” Chaz marvels.
Bari Province is on the southeast edge of the Southern Inhabitance along a curved coastline. The buildings are all short to medium height, mostly glass, stone, or wood. There is a tropical European feel to Bari, and the abundance of glass is obviously to take full advantage of the beautiful views.
Chaz is nearly floored. “This is where you live?”
“Yes, this is Bari.” Dev jokes, “Just like Canada, eh?”
Chaz laughs. “Funny.” He looks around. “This is just beautiful. It reminds me of the South of France and Santorini.” Turning all the way around, Chaz sees tropical landscape to the north, west, and east, and far-off mountains to the south. “Wait, we were on the train for only about twenty minutes. How far from Headquarters are we?”
“About three hundred miles.”
“That is a fast train.”
“Come on.” Dev points across the street. “That building with the blue glass and white metal is where I live. The Barigi Sea is right out my windows.” Dev and Chaz walk side by side through the open doors into the building lobby. The chamberlain on duty stands when he sees them, as is the custom whenever military officers enter a room. He immediately notices the horrific condition of their uniforms and is slightly taken aback.
“Sir—”
“I know, I know,” Dev says. “Chamberlain, this is Lieutenant Commander Chaz Ronaldi. He is to be granted full access to my dwelling and considered in-resident status. Commander Ronaldi is new to Trieste, so please assist him as necessary.”
Chaz’s handprint is registered on the house system and will grant the access Dev ordered. They enter the lift, and though there are buttons, Dev doesn’t press any of them. The rounded doors close, and the lift begins to move.