THE FOREVER GENE (THE SCIONS OF EARTH Book 1)

by Dean, Warren

  "Yes, sir," she replied hurriedly, anxious to get a word in before his attention was diverted elsewhere. "Although the situation in Mongolia is not as bad as elsewhere, I recommend sending a ship there, ambassador."

  "I am not going to do that, translator," he replied.

  "But, sir…"

  "Once the fleet has assembled and all ships have been despatched to the surface, Emissary itself will go to Ulan Bator. I am mindful of our debt of gratitude to the Mongolians. In the meantime, send your message, translator, and keep sending it. We need the humans to trust us now as never before."

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  When the soldiers reached the city, they headed straight for the Government Palace in Sükhbaatar Square.

  Qara and Batu stood on the south steps of the palace, broadcasting to the outside world for as long as possible. As soon as they saw movement on the far side of the square, they bolted inside. They ran through the deserted corridors towards the president's office. When they got there, they caught sight of Tegus waiting tensely in an outer office.

  "Time to go," Qara said breathlessly. "There are soldiers on the other side of the square."

  "Chinese, not Russian," added Batu.

  "Yes, the Russians are an hour away to the north," said Tegus. "That is how long we have until the real battle starts. Get up to the roof. There are two 'copters waiting for us. The president will be ready to leave in a couple of minutes."

  He activated his 'mote as she and Batu hurried away. "We have to go now, sir," she heard him say.

  Qara couldn't believe how quickly things had gone wrong. A few days ago Ulan Bator had been one of the most peaceful places on the planet. Mongolia's vast distances had shielded it from the worst of the radiation, and life had continued there relatively normally.

  It was the chancellor of the Northern European Federation who unwittingly set in motion the events which led to the invasion of the Mongolian capital. A week ago, the rapid deterioration of planetary conditions led the Northern European government to conclude that the situation would soon go past the point of no return. The chancellor broadcast a plea to all of the world's nations to work together to find a solution. One of the suggestions he made was to ask the Mongolians whether there was any helpful Faerie Folk technology which may have been left behind at their facility outside Ulan Bator. Perhaps there was something which could be used to reduce radiation levels or to neutralise weaponry.

  The plea prompted the governments of both China and Russia to decide that, if such technology existed, whoever had control of it would hold a significant advantage. Almost simultaneously, the old rivals announced that each intended to send troops into Mongolia to secure the facility for the good of everyone.

  President Ganzorig protested immediately, stating that he would make any technology at the facility available to anyone who wished to study it for peaceful purposes. It was too late. The Russo-Chinese race for Ulan Bator had begun.

  Ganzorig knew that his forces could not resist the twin invasions. They could not stop the 'tank squadrons racing towards the city from both north and south, but he issued a terse warning that any 'copters which intruded into Mongolian airspace would be shot down. That bought him time to evacuate the city.

  Despite the fact that more than a million Mongolians lived in the capital, three times that number still lived as nomads or in small towns out on the steppes. The nation was still nomadic at heart, and Ganzorig knew that, with the help of the rural population, the citizens of Ulan Bator would survive. The invaders were not interested in the rest of Mongolia and would have no reason to go after them.

  Spurred on by news of the imminent arrival of invading forces, the city was evacuated within two days. In the government palace, Ganzorig kept a skeleton cabinet working feverishly. The rest of the building was evacuated along with the rest of the city.

  As soon as Qara and Batu reached the roof, they climbed into one of the two military 'copters sitting there. Both of the big machines were revved up and ready to go. She activated her 'mote. "You have to get out of there now, Tol," she shouted above the noise of the 'copter's air-vortex system.

  Tol had insisted on staying behind at Mongolia Today's broadcast centre. He wanted to make sure that her final reports on the situation in Ulan Bator reached as wide an audience as possible. She had begged him to leave with the rest of the station's personnel, but he would not listen.

  "This is more important than my safety," he had told her. "The world must know exactly what is going on here. Perhaps the Americans or the Europeans will send help."

  Qara doubted that any help would come. The rest of the world had its own problems to deal with. The Americans were more concerned with the situation in the Middle East and on the Indian subcontinent than the skirmish in Mongolia. The entire region from Egypt to Pakistan was a powder keg which could explode at any moment. And the Northern Europeans were focussed on fending off the growing number of incursions from the multitude of warlords who now ruled much of Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

  "Don't worry, I shall leave soon," Tol said. "I just need to…"

  She heard shouting in the background, the words indistinct. "Tol, Tol!" she shouted. "What's going on? You have to get out of there. Tol!"

  He didn't respond. She heard a couple of sharp reports which sounded like gunshots and then her 'mote went dead. "Tol, Tol!" she shouted, trying to get him back. But the connection remained dead. Batu, who had been listening in on his 'mote, looked at her and shook his head.

  "What's happened, Batu? Where is he?"

  Batu shook his head again. "Invaders always secure the media first," was all he said.

  "Why didn't he listen to me? He shouldn't have been there." She burst into tears and the burly cameraman put an arm around her shoulders. At least Oyugun had left the city when she had told him to. As had her father. At least they were safe.

  A few minutes later, the president and about a dozen cabinet members came up onto the roof, escorted by Tegus and several other security agents. Ganzorig, Tegus and the agents climbed into Qara's 'copter. The rest got into the other one. Bringing up the rear was a large detail of Special Forces soldiers which had been securing the building. The soldiers clambered into the 'copters, which took off immediately. Both machines headed west.

  At first, Qara was too upset to worry about where they were going and what would happen next. She had been told that the president and his cabinet would go to Altai, a small town in the west of the country. There they would carry on the business of government as best they could.

  Although both China and Russia had stated that it was not their intention to occupy Ulan Bator, the Mongolians knew that wasn't true. Whoever controlled the city controlled the Bogdkhan National Park and the Faerie Folk's facility within it. It was inevitable that there would be a battle over the city and, after the dust settled, the victor was not going to simply walk away.

  Batu nudged her and pointed through one of the open doors of the 'copter. She looked and saw that it had banked to the south west. The other 'copter did not follow and disappeared quickly into the distance.

  Her natural inquisitiveness reasserted itself. Where was her 'copter going? Why had it deviated from its course? Surely it was safer for the two 'copters to stick together until they were clear of the city? And why was the president being separated from the rest of the cabinet? Choking back her worry for Tol, she lurched unsteadily over to Ganzorig.

  He saw her coming. "We have to stop meeting in these things," he said when she got close enough.

  His easy humour was reassuring, although she couldn't bring herself to smile. "Is everything alright, sir?" she shouted. "I thought that we were going to Altai?"

  He nodded. "We are. I just need to fetch something first."

  She looked at him in puzzlement.

  "I'm sorry you are being dragged along. You were supposed to be in the other 'copter. I only realised that you were in this one after we had taken off."

  Qara's 'mote
chimed. She ignored it. "Is it wise to take risks with your safety, sir? Can't this wait until things have settled down?"

  Her 'mote chimed again and she caught sight of Batu trying to catch her attention from the other side of the cabin. He was tapping his ear repeatedly. Impatiently, she waved him away. Couldn't he see that she was talking to the president?

  "I don't think things are going to settle down anytime soon," he said a little grimly. "Don't worry; our little detour shouldn't take long."

  She grimaced. "Are you not at liberty to tell me what is going on, sir?"

  "No, I'm not," he said, "but I will anyway. We are on our way to the Faerie Folk's facility."

  "What for?" she blurted out, before realising how impertinently she was quizzing him.

  Instead of taking offence, he grinned wolfishly. "You don't think I am going to let these invaders get what they want, do you?"

  Her 'mote chimed again, but she was too intrigued with what Ganzorig was saying to notice.

  "The Faerie Folk took everything from the facility with them when they left, but it suddenly occurred to me that there is something they may have inadvertently left behind."

  "What do you mean, sir?"

  "One thing they never shared with anyone was their cloaking technology, and for good reason. In the wrong hands, it would be an extremely dangerous tool. But, if you remember, the facility was cloaked when we got there that first day. It was cloaked again to fool the Chinese and Russians the first time they invaded. So, as soon as I realised that we were going to have to evacuate Ulan Bator, I sent a team of scientists back to the facility. I instructed them to see whether the cloaking technology was not somehow part of the fabric of the building itself."

  "In the same way that the process which distributes light and heat is built into the roof and walls?" she asked, understanding beginning to dawn.

  "Precisely, he said. "It was a long shot, but it has paid off. My team found a network of organic fibres embedded within the hard-water of the building. The power source it was originally connected to is gone, but when the team connected it to an alternative, the entire facility appeared to vanish. The fibres have been stripped out and the walls re-hardened to hide that they were ever there. When we arrive, we will evacuate the team and take the fibres with us. When the invaders examine the facility, they will find nothing."

  Qara found herself grinning at the prospect. In the grand scheme of things, it was a minor victory. But these days, victories were scarce and had to be savoured whenever possible. She wondered whether the fibres could be put to any practical use and was about to ask when Tegus stumbled over and thrust a tablet into the president's hand.

  "Take a look at this broadcast, sir," he said.

  The president looked at whatever was on the screen and his eyes widened. "Is this genuine?" he asked. Where is it coming from?"

  "Not from any source we know of," Tegus replied. "We are still trying to identify it."

  Ganzorig watched for a few more moments, and then passed the tablet to Qara. "What do you make of this?"

  She took the device and looked at what was on the screen. It was a message from the Faerie Folk. They had returned and were offering to evacuate anyone who wished to leave the planet. She glanced across the cabin at Batu, her eyebrows raised. He gave her an exasperated shrug. That was what he had been trying to tell her, she realised sheepishly. She looked at her 'link and saw that the calls which had been coming in were from various news channels which regularly carried her broadcasts. They probably wanted to find out whether she knew anything about the message.

  At first, she was sure that it was a hoax. These days, the integrity of much of what was broadcast over the Personet was questionable. Too often, the world's news channels were being used for propaganda purposes by whoever controlled them. Reports were doctored, even fabricated, to skew perception in favour of a particular nation, faction, or alliance at the expense of another. Paranoia ruled and misinformation was the order of the day. Exacerbating the situation were legions of lunatics, weirdoes, and desperados who broadcast all sorts of rubbish.

  The message was ostensibly from Translator Vi and appeared to emanate from an extra-terrestrial source. But digital graphics could be used to replicate anything, and a talented hacker could easily falsify the source of a broadcast.

  If it was a hoax, it was in very poor taste. The planet was in an awful mess. Every time nuclear weapons were used, people died and radiation levels rose. In the past week alone, the United States, United Kingdom and China had all executed nuclear strikes against enemies both real and imagined. Even worse was the predicament Russia found itself in. Awash with nuclear weapons left over from the cold war, as well as new ones smuggled across its vast borders, its government had been forced to use more and more force in an attempt to eradicate armed rebels and insurgents who were bent on carving their own little kingdoms out of the hide of Mother Russia.

  There appeared to be no solution to the chaos, no end to the madness. If the message from the Faerie Folk was fake, it was more than cruel. It offered hope and salvation, things that no longer seemed possible.

  Her 'mote chimed, and this time she looked at her 'link to see who it was. The readout told her that the call was from Translator Vi. She froze. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe the Faerie Folk had really returned. Or was this part of the hoax? There was only one way to find out. She answered the call.

  "Qara-Chinua," she said hesitantly.

  "It is good to find that you are well," said the caller in a high-pitched voice with a slightly metallic tone.

  Qara's doubts vanished. She would know that voice anywhere. She almost burst into tears again. "Where are you calling from?" was all she could think of to say.

  "I am aboard Emissary," replied the translator. We are in geosynchronous orbit above Mongolia, about one hundred kilometres from the surface. From here, our shuttles can reach the ground quickly and easily. We have come to help treat casualties of war, and to evacuate those who wish to leave Earth."

  Although she didn't say it, Qara knew that her friend was extending a personal invitation; an invitation to leave the planet, perhaps forever. "I must stay here," she heard herself say. "There are people I cannot leave."

  Even as she said it she realised that, aside from her father, it wasn't really true. Tol was probably her closest friend and he was gone; captured or dead, she couldn't be sure. Oyugun was with his family and she knew that Batu wouldn't hesitate to go with her if she left.

  "I understand," said Vi. "You must do what is right for you. I must attend to my duties now, but please contact me whenever you wish. I sincerely hope we shall speak again."

  "I hope so too," said Qara, but the translator had already gone.

  She turned back to the president. "The message is true, sir. I can confirm it. The Faerie Folk are back. They are here to help us and to evacuate anyone who wishes to leave Earth."

  He nodded, accepting her assurance. "I see. That is a surprise, I must say. I thought they had written us off long ago. But I am not sure that they can really help us. Unless they plan to subdue the planet by force, I can't see the situation changing much."

  She shook her head. "They won't use force, sir. They have said so many times. I suppose they could have been lying about that, but I don't think so. My impression has always been that it is not in their nature. I think that they will try to save us by other means and, if they fail, they will give up on us for good."

  The 'copter banked again, and she saw that they were flying over the lower slopes of Tsetseegun Uul. The pilot headed for a 'copter pad outside the facility and set the machine down. The soldiers leapt out first, fanning out to secure the area. There was no indication that enemy forces were in the vicinity, but chances couldn't be taken with the president's safety.

  Once the all clear had been signalled, the president and his agents climbed out of the 'copter and hurried into the facility. Qara and Batu followed them inside. It was a relief to get away from the noise of
the 'copter for a while. She hadn't been to the facility since the Faerie Folk had left and she ambled quizzically through the deserted rooms and corridors. The bustle and hum she remembered was gone and the place was eerily silent and empty. It seemed somehow more alien than when the Faerie Folk had been there.

  She checked her 'link and saw that there was still a Personet connection available. She decided to take advantage of the lull in activity. Her father answered her call almost immediately. "Hi, Dad, it's me."

  "Hello, Little Wolf, are you alright? They say that fighting has started in the city. Are you still there?"

  "No, Dad, I am on my way to Altai with the president." She decided that she wouldn't worry him with details of the detour they had taken. "Where are you now? Are you being well cared for?"

  "Yes, they have taken us to a temporary settlement away from the city. There is plenty of food and water and the army is here to protect us. You mustn't worry about me."

  "Have you been told how long you are going to be there?"

  "For a few days, at least. The army is still bringing people in. Eventually we will be divided into smaller groups and moved on to towns or nomadic communities. They say that we will be able to choose where we go."

  "Good. Tell them you want to go to Altai. I will meet you there. If anyone gives you a problem let me know and I will ask the president to sort it out."

  He chuckled. "Don't worry about me; I can take care of myself. I lived on the steppes once and I can do so again. I'm sure the president has more important things to do than worry about an old man like me."

  "He will help if I ask him to," she replied. "But just make sure they send you to Altai, ok? I have to go now, Dad. Let me know as soon as anything happens."

  "I will, Little Wolf. Stay safe."

  She ended the call and walked into the massive central room, glancing up at the domed roof. She would miss this place. She walked over to where the president and his agents were conferring with some of the scientists. They had completed their packing and were ready to go.