by Clyde Key
* * *
As it turned out, Everett Lane was almost more concerned about Ed killing the alien, than about the alien’s skulking about just outside the base. They had a long discussion about response to alien excursions, but came to no agreement. Ed favored stationing guards well outside the guard compound and ordering them to destroy any aliens or alien globes that came near, but Lane did not approve.
“Ed, things have got to change. It’s the political thing, you know.”
“How can things change?” asked Ed. “Aliens have been ordered to stay within the old perimeter except for their agents. We have to consider any other move as hostile! We have to protect ourselves and the country from them!”
“The orders have changed, Ed, but they weren’t changed by me. It comes straight from the top. If some aliens come out of their lines and there are only a few and they don’t seem to be threatening, then we leave them alone. We watch them the best we can but we don’t do anything.”
“That’s from the White House, you say?”
“That’s right. That’s President Litton’s direct orders.”
“That’s hard to believe,” said Ed. “I thought she was stronger than that. I never believed she would cave in to Arlene’s group like that.”
30
Aug. 9, 2112
Marilee Sharp was given charge of the company sent to escort the alien representatives from their camp. As had been agreed, enough aliens would be allowed outside so they could establish their communication chain all the way into Washington, but each group of aliens had to be accompanied by a contingent of soldiers. Also there would be enough aliens to make the chain zigzag around any major population areas. Now Ed Halloran and Major Baines watched from the background as Marilee gave instructions to the troops under her command.
“This whole thing scares me,” said Ed. “Once we start letting them out, will there be any controlling the rest of them?”
“No,” said Baines, solemnly. “There’s no way. Actually they could all get out now if they knew it. If they just lined up and went out as fast as they could, we might nail a few but we couldn’t stop them.”
“They don’t know that, I guess,” said Ed. “But they will when that communication chain gets out. They’ll realize what our true strength is and they’ll see it’s all concentrated right here.”
Then they both glumly watched Marilee’s company load into a long convoy of floaters with 1st Lt. Marilee Sharp in the lead. At the very end of the convoy rode Lt. Richie Taylor.
“Colonel, do you think this was a wise choice, putting Sharp in charge?” Baines asked suddenly.
“Marilee is as smart as anybody in the whole army,” said Ed. “And she’s got a whole lot more common sense than most. Why do you ask now, after they’re on the way?”
“Oh, I didn’t mean anything about Sharp’s qualifications. I guess I’m more concerned about Taylor than anything. He thought he should have been given the command, and he seems peeved. And I’ve heard some of the other troops complaining to each other that Sharp got it because of her association with you.”
“Why, that’s ridiculous!” said Ed. “Besides, these people are soldiers. They get orders, not explanations.”
“That’s all very true,” said Baines. “Anyway, we should be worrying more about the aliens than our own troops.”
Then the two old soldiers watched silently as the convoy disappeared into the distance. That didn’t take very long since floaters travel very fast, even in convoy. After the convoy was gone, Ed said, “Lane is already talking about disarmament. Did you know that?”
“That’s an absolute mistake to even think about disarmament right now! What brought that up?”
“Congress is getting into a pacifist mood, and of course AABC has always believed their own crap anyway. All the other governments are beginning to show signs of giving in and now even our own cabinet is beginning to waver. According to Lane, cabinet members are basically afraid of aliens. They don’t want to accommodate them, but they’re also afraid of Congress and AABC.”
“Huh! Gutless bunch, aren’t they!”
“It looks that way to me,” said Ed. “I guess it’s understandable in a way. In the whole history of the world, there’s no precedent for something like this, so how is anybody supposed to know how to handle it?”
“The real question is how we’re going to handle it,” said Baines. “Are we going to roll over and play dead for them?”
“Just a minute! What are you saying?” Ed stared at the old soldier.
Baines returned his steady gaze. “What I’m saying is we shouldn’t disband, even if ordered.”
“But... But, how? The constitution won’t allow us to disobey direct orders.” Ed walked away, not believing what he was hearing. Then he turned back to Baines. “You know what you’re saying is treason!”
“I don’t think so,” said Baines. “I don’t think so at all. I believe it’s the only sane, patriotic thing to do.”
Ed thought silently about Baines’ notion for a few minutes until he began to feel a bit unsteady. He reached for his pills and took a couple. Then as an afterthought, he swallowed an extra one. After a bit, the pills took effect and Ed began to feel much better. And Atkin’s idea began to sound better to him. “I guess you’ve figured out how we’re going to pull this off?”
“No. Not altogether, but I have some of it. It boils down to three things.”
“And what are those?”
“First, we have to figure out who is on our side. That’s mainly in the army I’m talking about, but probably also some civilians. Next, we have to swear them to absolute secrecy. We can’t do this if any of it leaks. AABC and the wimps in congress would kill us in the media and the courts. And then, we have to stash our weapons somewhere before we’re ordered to disband.”
“There are more problems than that,” said Ed. “Like, are we supposed to operate in the open or be a guerilla group? And how do we support all this if the government isn’t paying for it?”
“Hey, I don’t know all the answers!” said Baines. “I’ve just started thinking about it. You could come up with some of the answers yourself—or just courtmartial me for treason and get it all stopped now.”
“Nah. I’m not going to courtmartial any old geezer like you. There’s not any way to threaten somebody like you or me with prison, or even hanging. We don’t have enough years left for it to be a major concern anyway.”
“Then I’m getting started with it. I’ll discreetly find out who would probably be with us and then I’ll show you the list before I talk to anybody else about it.”
“One thing—and this is real important,” said Ed. “Look at the personnel records and cull anybody connected with the media. We’ve got some former reporters in the ranks and they’re already leaking information. Just one leak would kill this whole scheme!”