by Ken Lozito
Tobias Quinn was speaking, and Connor went to the empty seat next to Frank Mallory. Sean stood off to the side. Sitting across from Connor was Dr. Ashley Quinn, who had retained her post as chief of staff for all things medical in the colony. She regarded Connor knowingly. He knew that, being the gifted doctor she was, she could just glance at him and know he hadn’t been taking care of himself. Connor looked away and glanced around at the others on the committee. Like himself, they were all lacking sleep and working long hours. Thanks to Connor’s implants, he only needed two hours’ sleep. It had taken the scientists here years to reverse-engineer Connor’s NA Alliance military-grade implants that had been cutting edge when the Ark left Earth space. The CDF, given the nature of their work, were given top priority for the new implants. Colonial scientists had managed to improve on the design so that a person was less likely to reject them, but they were in short supply, and they could only outfit about five percent of the colony, or fifteen thousand people.
More than one committee member shifted their focus to Connor while Tobias was speaking. Many of them had doubted Earth had been lost, thanks to the efforts of Stanton Parish. Now they looked to Connor to protect them, and the fact that he couldn’t weighed heavily on him.
“I’ve asked General Gates to come to this meeting to provide a status update on our readiness for the Vemus threat,” Tobias said.
“Excuse me, Governor, I’d like to raise a question for General Gates that I believe those of us on this committee would like to hear his opinion on.”
“Dr. Mendoza, why don’t we hold all questions until General Gates has provided his update,” Tobias said.
Connor looked at the woman who had spoken. She was tall, even when seated, and had long features. Her bony shoulders drew up toward her ears, giving her the appearance of a hawk’s wings right before it was about to fly. Dr. Gabriela Mendoza was a staunch supporter of Parish and had been his scientific advisor.
“What is it you’d like to know?” Connor asked the astrophysicist.
“The Vemus signal you discovered during the battle two months ago—has it been detected since the battle?” Dr. Mendoza asked.
“No, it has not,” Connor answered.
“Are you certain, then, that the Vemus have another attack force coming here?”
“Yes, I am,” Connor said and addressed the rest of the committee. “You’ve all read the reports from that attack. The source of the signal was away from the attack force and we have no idea where it was actually coming from. The signal went dark after the attack.”
“Isn’t it possible that the source of the signal could have been from one of the ships that was destroyed?” Dr. Mendoza asked.
Connor shook his head and reminded himself that they were scared. “Look, we’ve been down this road before. You doubted the attack was coming in the first place and that didn’t work out so well. Now you’re wondering: if there is another attack force out there, why haven’t they come yet?”
There were several head-bobs around the conference table.
“I don’t have a good answer for you. I just know they’re out there. The fact of the matter is the Vemus learned as much about us as we did about them during our encounter. They quickly adapted their tactics during our battle with them. We know from the data cache taken from one of their ships that when the Vemus left Earth, they had a massive fleet of ships—more than what we’ve faced. Our engineers believe the Vemus signal was coming from outside this star system. That’s all we know. We’ve scanned the area where we thought the signal was coming from and haven’t detected anything, but it could be that we don’t have the ability to detect them with our scanners. What I believe is that the second Vemus attack force changed their tactics and will enter this star system from a different point of entry,” Connor said.
“Why?” Dr. Mendoza asked.
“Because we’re dangerous. We’ve proven that much. They’ll be cautious on their second attempt, but make no mistake; they’re coming here because this is where we are.”
“We can’t possibly scan all vectors of the sky,” Dr. Mendoza said.
“You’re right, we can’t. We’re doing the best we can. It’s been two months since the attack. Every hour we get is a gift. More time to prepare. The Vemus aren’t going to blunder into the star system again. Every able-bodied person is going to be called upon to fight, and it still might not be enough. Our orbital defenses aren’t going to be able to stop another attack force like what we faced before,” Connor said.
“What do you need then?” Dr. Mendoza asked.
“Five more years and the full effort of the colony to build our own fleet of ships and orbital defenses. That’s what I need, but it won’t be what we’ll get. We’ll be lucky if we get another five days,” Connor said.
There were several gasps.
“What the general is saying,” Mallory said, speaking up for the first time since Connor entered the room, “is that there’s no way we can know when the Vemus will attack again. It could be at any moment. We have bunkers set up and we’ve been identifying archaeological sites that could be used as shelters,” Mallory said and inclined his head toward Connor.
“Yes, we’ve done all that,” Connor said. “The fact of the matter is that when the Vemus attack us, we’re not going to be able to stop them in space. There’s a high probability that an invasion force will land on this planet.”
There was a long silence in the meeting room. If the Vemus were able to land an attack force, they could also spread themselves to mammalian life on New Earth.
Stanton Parish cleared his throat, and Connor swung his powerful gaze at the man.
“What about the colossus cannon?” Parish asked.
“We’re reviewing the schematics for it,” Connor said.
“But with all the resources being devoted to Sanctuary—”
“As I said before, we’re reviewing the schematics for it,” Connor said. Not wishing to disclose the current status of the cannon, he looked over at the other committee members. “We’re doing everything we can, and it still might not be enough.”
Many of the committee members focused on the area in front of them. They’d wanted Connor to come in here and give them hope, but there very well might not be any hope for them to survive. He instinctually believed the Vemus attack was imminent, but even he was at a loss as to what they were waiting for, and the anticipation of attack was wearing away at all of them.
“We still don’t know why they’re coming,” Dr. Mendoza said.
“That’s not entirely accurate,” a man said, and Connor’s internal heads-up display showed that the man’s name was Dr. Fritz Kramer.
“We know from the data cache and the video logs that the Vemus spread themselves across mammalian life on Earth. This is unprecedented in any organism that has come before. The Vemus started infecting sea mammals—whales and dolphins—before it started spreading on land,” Dr. Kramer said.
Connor remembered the Vemus soldiers they’d fought on the Indianapolis. They had thick, dark skin, were massive in size, and were extremely strong.
“The Vemus are, in fact, two separate organisms that have formed a symbiotic circle. They depend on each other to thrive. Many scientists believed that the Vemus didn’t show up until they were exposed,” Dr. Kramer said.
“Exposed?” Tobias asked.
“Disturbed is perhaps a better word. Earth scientists weren’t sure, but they couldn’t find a credible theory as to how the Vemus spread so rapidly. This leaves us with two or three possibilities. First is that the Vemus are a biological weapon that was created in a lab and simply grew out of the control of its creators. The second is that chance brought the two organisms together and it spread itself through the food chain to the point that by the time people became aware of its existence, it was already too late,” Dr. Kramer said.
“And the third?” Connor asked.
“The third is the most far-fetched. One or both of the organisms are not T
erran based. A meteor crashed into the Pacific Ocean and brought one or both of the organisms to Earth,” Dr. Kramer said.
“And we can never be sure,” Connor said.
“No, we can’t,” Dr. Kramer said.
“Even if we knew the origins of the Vemus, why would they come all this way for us? That’s a tall order for a disease,” Dr. Mendoza said.
“We modified it,” Connor said.
“No, that can’t be right,” Dr. Kramer said.
“It is right,” Connor said, pressing on. “When the Vemus started spreading to animals on land, there was a tremendous loss of life. In a panic, our scientists tried to modify a strain of the virus so it would avoid humans. I have no idea what they did, but I do know that after they modified the virus, it seemed to seek out humans exclusively.”
“You’re oversimplifying what happened,” Dr. Kramer said.
“Am I? I don’t think so, because that’s what the records say happened. You said it yourself. The two organisms depended on one another. One of those organisms was a virus that was capable of rewriting its DNA, but after the scientists got through with it, they had augmented its ability. Instead of simply being able to rewrite its DNA, it could store DNA from any infected host. I can give you a firsthand account of how the Vemus are highly adaptive to situations. I saw them change forms to get us as we left their ship,” Connor said.
Ashley cleared her throat. “The basis for any living organism is to reproduce as part of its life cycle. When the Vemus started targeting humans to the exclusion of all else, it found a species of more than twenty billion throughout the solar system.”
“This doesn’t explain how the Vemus were able to track us over sixty light-years. How does an organism fly spaceships, use weapons, and plan attacks?” Dr. Mendoza asked.
There was a heavy silence throughout the meeting room.
“Like I said, we modified it. Made it stronger,” Connor said.
More than one committee member’s face became ashen.
“Stronger, yes,” Franklin Mallory said, “but some of their tactics denote a lack of imagination. They can execute basic attacks, but they haven’t done anything complex as far as strategy goes. That’s why we were able to stop them before.”
Mallory gave Connor a pointed look, and Tobias steered the discussion to the preparations being made. Connor had already drafted what he thought was the best strategy for when the Vemus invaded, and it hadn’t been well received. He felt as if Wil and Kasey were standing behind him, judging everything he said and did, and he didn’t think they approved either.
Chapter Four
After the meeting ended, Tobias asked Connor and Frank to stay behind for a few minutes. Connor glanced at the clock on the wall. He just wanted to get out of there. He’d had enough of being around these people for the time being.
When the room cleared, Tobias regarded him for a moment. “When I asked you about the state of our readiness, I didn’t think you’d dash all hope of our survival.”
Connor sighed. “That’s reality. I can’t spread false hope.”
“I wasn’t asking you to, but we need everyone to keep working. We’re barely holding together as it is, but if you take away all hope, they’ll just give up . . .” Tobias paused for a second. “What’s going on with you? You don’t need me to tell you all this.”
Connor looked away. The image of his dead son came to his mind and he could hear his son’s bitter words in his mind, twisting him up in knots. “It’s been a rough few days.”
“I’m sorry, did you say days? How about months or years? We need you focused,” Tobias said.
“I’ll be fine. I just need to get out of here and get some air,” Connor said.
He hastened toward the door and was out of the meeting room before anyone could reply. He hardly saw the faces of the people he passed as he fled down the hall. There were too many faces, all looking to him to protect them. Everywhere he went people looked to him to give them hope, but deep inside he was hollow. He felt he had nothing left to give. He would fail them all and then his life would be over.
Connor rounded a corner and nearly collided with another person. The exit to the building was within sight and he hastened toward it, muttering an apology. He knew his security detail was likely closing in on him, but he just wanted to be alone for a while.
Connor shoved his way through the side exit of the congressional building and took several deep breaths of fresh air. He was greeted by the scent of freshly mown lawns, sliced by paved paths that led throughout the campus. The sun gleamed and the blue sky overhead had hints of green to it that were unique to New Earth. He jogged down a path through the gardens.
He was well away from the building when he heard his name being called, and something in the voice penetrated his angst. Connor spun around and saw Lenora running toward him, her long, thick hair trailing behind her. The sight of her made his pulse quicken, but the respite was short-lived. Connor glanced in the direction she’d come from and saw the personal transport ship she must have used to fly here.
“Is that your ship?” Connor asked.
Lenora frowned. “Yes,” she said.
“I need to get out of here. Can you take us somewhere?” Connor asked.
Lenora eyed him for a moment.
“Please, I just need to get away from here,” Connor said.
“Yeah, sure. Let’s go,” Lenora answered.
They hurried toward Lenora’s ship and climbed aboard. Connor glanced out the window and saw Sean Quinn, along with Connor’s security detail, racing toward them.
“Should we wait for them?” Lenora asked.
Connor shook his head. “No. Just take off,” he said, his voice sounding strained.
Lenora engaged the thrusters and the ship lifted off the ground. Once they were above the buildings, she flew them away from the city. Connor used his implants to shut down the transponder inside the craft.
An alert appeared on the heads-up display, and Lenora glanced at him. “What’s going on?”
“They’ll track us through the transponder. I just need to get away for a while,” Connor said.
“It’s not going to fool Sean,” Lenora said.
“I know,” Connor replied.
He’d trained Sean well, and he had the makings of a great leader. Too bad he might not get the chance.
Lenora took them away from Sierra, and after a few minutes she set them down in an open clearing surrounded by trees. A hundred kilometers away from Sierra and New Earth looked as if it had never been inhabited by humans.
Connor’s heart was racing as he hastily climbed out of the seat. He opened the hatch and his shoulders brushed against the sides as he went out before it fully opened.
“Where are you going?” Lenora asked, following him.
Connor stepped out onto the grassy field, and the soft ground yielded to his heavy footfalls. His breath came in gasps. He kept thinking about how they were all going to die and it was all his fault. He hadn’t fought hard enough for what they needed. Perhaps he had even started to doubt that the Vemus were coming for them, and he’d bought into what Stanton Parish had been saying. He felt so small and insignificant compared to the vastness of everything around him. They were still so new to this world that there would be nothing to mark their passing if everyone in the colony died.
Lenora’s brows drew up in worry. “You need to calm down.”
Connor swallowed hard. “I can’t.”
Lenora placed her hands on his shoulders. “Look at me. Look into my eyes.”
Connor did as she asked.
“Good. Now just take slow, deep breaths. Do it with me.”
Lenora took a deep breath and Connor tried to follow along, but he couldn’t feel his hands and he was becoming dizzy. His chest tightened and he pushed away from Lenora. He backed away, his gaze darting back and forth as if he were about to be attacked.
“It’s okay. You’re fine. It’s just the two of us here,” Lenora
said soothingly.
Connor just wanted to run. He needed to run. He spun around but felt something jab into his back. There was intense heat, the strength went out of his muscles, and he collapsed to the ground. Lenora caught him and eased him down. His vision faded and he blacked out.
He heard Lenora speaking as he began to wake up. There was something soft under his head. He opened his eyes and found that he was lying on the ground in the same field she had taken him to. He drew in a deep breath and blew it out. His heart was no longer racing.
Lenora put her comlink away and came over to him.
“What did you do to me?” Connor asked.
“I used my stunner on you. You were having a panic attack and weren’t thinking straight,” Lenora said.
“A panic attack?” Connor repeated, frowning. “That can’t be right.”
“Why? Because you’re the great Connor Gates? The CDF general who singlehandedly defeated the Vemus?”
Connor didn’t reply. He knew she was baiting him. Instead, he sat up. “How long was I out?”
“A few hours. I called Ashley and she told Sean I took you somewhere to rest,” Lenora said.
Connor stood up and rolled his shoulders. “You stunned me?”
“You were about to go running off. So it was either stun you or chase you through the forest and then stun you.”
“And you left me on the ground?”
“You needed the rest,” Lenora said.
He could think more clearly, but he still felt tired. “How’d you even know where to find me?”
“Noah called me. He’s worried about you.”
“I’m fi—”
“Don’t you dare tell me you’re fine! You’re not fine. Having panic attacks and telling everyone they’re going to die is not fine,” Lenora snapped.
Connor clenched his teeth and sighed. “I don’t want to fight with you.”
“That’s because you know I’m right. Everything that’s happened is exacting a toll on you. You can’t compartmentalize everything no matter how hard you try,” Lenora said.