The Fleet

by John M. Davis

  “Put 'em down.” Adam insisted, turning to ask his men to lay down their weapons.

  Several of them seemed hesitant, but understood that being outnumbered by the Hunters meant almost certain death either way.

  So, in the following moments they did as Adam asked. Laying weapons down onto the cold soil with caution.

  “Yours too.” a Hunter Elite demanded.

  “Not until I see my son.” Adam replied sternly.

  “I should gut you like a cowardly dog for refusing my demands.” the elite snarled, prepared to draw his blade and do just as he said.

  “You'll find this dog has a bite.” Adam cautioned.

  “Enough!” Sarah yelled, walking from the darkness and into the flickering light of the campfire.

  The former lovers began to make eye contact. Each feeling the other out a bit as it had been a long time.

  “Where's my son?” Adam asked.

  “First, you need to remove your sidearm Adam. You'll see Avery soon enough. You have my word.” Sarah replied.

  “Now lapdog!” the elite yelled in taunting fashion.

  Adam did as she asked. Slowly unbuckling his holster and never losing eye contact with the elite. Wanting so badly to end the beast's taunting once and for all.

  Easing down, Adam laid his holster to the soil. Pistol still inside of the brown leather fittings.

  “That's a good boy.” the elite said.

  “Friend,” Adam warned. “If you speak on business that doesn't concern you again, I will kill you,” he said. “I may die in the process of doing so, but I promise. I will kill you.”

  “How do you plan to do that, you scrawny little...” the elite had started to ask. His life ended by the clawed hands of his queen. Piercing nails mauling though the skin of his throat.

  “SILENCE!” she warned. Prepared to kill anyone else that interrupted a moment she'd long waited for.

  The Hunters fell to complete silence, as did the marines who stood behind their lieutenant.

  “Bring the boy.” Sarah demanded. Another vampire leading Avery out of the shadows and into the flickering light of campfire.

  Avery had grown to the age of walking, though barely. As Adam began to cry, outstretching his arms for the embrace of his son, Sarah stopped the reunion short by grabbing Avery's arm.

  “That's far enough.”

  “Sarah,” Adam pleaded, standing to his feet in doing so. “He's my son.”

  “Yes,” she replied. “I also see a lot of Sasha in him. A fact that would have seen him dead a long time ago, if not for your own DNA coursing through his veins.”

  “Avery has no part in this. He's a child.”

  “He has every part in this!” Sarah lashed out. “He represents a time when you and I should have been together. Instead, you found love in another.”

  “Listen,” Adam said with softness. “I admit that I have made a good many mistakes over the course of my life. Many when you and I were together. I take full responsibility for everything. I'm just asking that you remove Avery from all of this. He is innocent, I am not. I'll do anything to let him walk away from this.”

  “Anything?” Sarah asked. “Interesting.”“You will pay for this Dalton James!” Doctor Arness yelled. Held in shackles and broadcasting to the ship's bridge by way of video.

  “People like you have killed the freedom we once had,” Dalton replied. “The only regret I have is not leaving you down on Ronica and bringing along someone who could have been a bit more helpful.”

  “You would throw us onto the Sky Giant like rats on a sinking ship and wish us into the unknown of space! Even now I bet there is whiskey on your breath!” the doctor replied.

  “That, sir, is a winning bet,” Dalton admitted. “I'm not throwing you anywhere. You said you wanted to go, I'm simply helping you carry your ass. You and anyone blind enough to buy into your bullshit.”

  Though Doctor Arness was furious, he was a good enough politician to understand that he now held the losing hand. Calming his voice and beginning to plead with Commander Dalton James.

  “Just hear me out. Please,” the doctor said. “There are seven-hundred souls aboard this ship. You've given us plenty of supplies, as promised, but you and I both know this ship will not stand the test of time out there in the black. This is a death sentence.”

  “I've been saying that for nine fucking months now.” Dalton answered with aggravation.

  “Please, just forget our past and allow this ship...these families...the promise of safe harbor on Second Glimmeria.” the doctor asked.

  “Done.” Dalton replied.

  As much as he despised Doctor Arness, it was a move that saved hundreds of innocent people. A win in Dalton's book of whiskey-littered compassion.

  “Lieutenant Bowers,” Dalton said, now speaking to the commanding officer aboard the Sky Giant. A man that had proven his loyalty to Dalton time and time again. “You are now acting captain of the Sky Giant. Relieve its former captain of his duties and make sure the good doctor remains in cuffs after you arrive on Second Glimmeria. Inform him that I plan to bring a whipping stick and we're going to have a heart to heart talk when I get there. Let him know that we'll reach a mutual understanding.”

  “Yes sir!” Captain Bowers replied. Firming his stance a bit and saluting the commander who'd just promoted him.

  “We're going to hang out here and await word from our phantom team. Once they're home we'll be right behind you.” Dalton said firmly.

  “Understood sir.”

  “Have a good flight captain.”

  “Thank you sir, and you the same.”

  As the video conference sliced into black, Cambria could see a grin on Dalton's face.

  “What is it dear?” she asked.

  “Ah, nothing much. Just remembering a time when I got promoted on the fly.”

  “Good times?” Cambria asked.

  “Some of the best. I was surrounded by friends and had a dog watching my back.”

  And drinking all my damn whiskey.

  *

  “Go!” Craig yelled in desperation.

  “I'm pushing her as hard as she'll go,” Anna cried out. “We're still losing ground!”

  As the full burn of the phantom's thrusters spewed wildly, Anna was right. Their exploration craft was indeed losing ground.

  They had picked up radiation signatures while exploring uncharted space – which led to a long-distance affair. The two members of the phantom only praying the fleet of destroyer class ships hadn't see them.

  Instead, they had watched the fleet suddenly change direction and begin flying into the phantom's direction. Setting off panic and desperation as both Craig and Anna turned to begin sprinting home. Unsure of their ability to make it back while using a full-burn of the engines without stopping to rest.

  “They're about a half-day's flight behind us but closing fast.” Craig said.

  He operated the computer systems as Anna continued to push the shuttle to its max speed. Feeling as though she were whipping at a flock of tiring horses in front of a carriage.

  “Grab any schematics you can from whatever the hell is chasing us down. Just in case we do make it back somehow.” Anna said.

  “Can't pick up anything at this range. Just movement, and it's fast. Has to be ships of some kind.”

  “How many?” Anna asked.

  “Hard to say,” Craig admitted. “The blips are coming in randomly because of distance. At least three that I've seen, maybe more.”

  Anna knew it to be a fact. They'd never make it back to the fleet in time. They were going to be riding the line on fuel, their shuttle burning it up faster than had been planned, and there was a good chance that whatever was behind them would catch up to their position before any sort of return.

  “Anna.” Craig said.

  “What is it?” she asked, keeping her eyes to the frontier of rocks and bright lights of space in front of them.

  “I love you.”

  “Huh?
” she asked with surprise.

  “Always have.” Craig added.

  “Yes,” Anna replied. “Thank you Captain Obvious. It's not like I didn't know this already.”

  “You did?” Craig asked.

  “Um, of course. What do you think I am, blind?”

  “Oh.”

  “I'm just glad to hear you finally admit it. Even if it took the risk of coming death to get you out of your shell.” Anna commented with sarcasm.

  “So, now I feel like an idiot.” Craig said.

  “Don't,” Anna said. “It's not one sided, I just have my hands full up here at the moment.”

  “You mean?”

  “Of course I feel the same way about you. How could I not? You're handsome, loyal and clueless. Kind of like that really cute puppy that every girl adores.”

  “A dog?” Craig questioned, the sound of their thrusters burning wildly as the shuttle moved fast.

  “No,” she replied. “Dogs get wet and stinky. They also piss all over the place and have been known to bite those who love them.” Anna added in a very cute fashion.

  “Technically, puppies piss too.”

  “Craig,” she said. “Don't ruin it.”

  “So where do we go from here?” he asked.

  “Well, assuming we aren't run down and slaughtered here,” Anna commented. “And given the fact that, as a race, we truly have no home,” she added. “I'd settle for just meeting up for coffee one day.”

  “Coffee is good. I like coffee.” Craig said.

  “Yes, I know. We've been friends for a while now, remember?” Anna asked.

  “How could I forget?” he asked. “Your sarcasm has literally kept me from going insane while dragging knuckles for our mighty fleet and its paper commander.”

  “I'm sarcastic?” she asked.

  “Indeed you are,” Craig replied. “It's one of the things I love about you.

  “One of the things?” she asked. “Do tell.”

  “Oh shit!” Craig blasted.

  Really? Is it really that much of a chore?

  “Getting early readings on what's behind us.”

  Craig announced it, though the dinging from their computer systems also spoke the tale.

  Three ships, just as Craig had suggested. Two of them coming back as unknown, while the third came back as a definitive destroyer vessel.

  “Oh God.” Anna said with disbelief.

  “Just keep your foot on the pedal up there.” Craig pleaded with seriousness.

  “I am. Got her running wide open. Any details on the destroyer?”

  “It's not anything we've seen before,” Craig said with deep curiosity. “But it's certainly a destroyer class. I'm picking up all kinds of radiation and structuring that is consistent with guns. Large guns.”

  “Crap.” Anna said.

  “Just keep on the horses up there. If these ships are as large as they look, it's going to be a race to the finish.”

  At least I hope so.

  *

  “It's simple Adam Michaels,” Sarah said. “You want your son back and I want you by my side.”

  “Look, I'm not saying that wouldn't be great. The truth of the matter is,” Adam admitted. “I never completely got over you.”

  Their conversation seemed to come to a standstill as both looked into the eyes of the other. Searching their own feelings and believing in what could have been. What should have been.

  “But how can that be now?” Adam finally said.

  “I think you and I both know what I'm asking, Adam.” Sarah replied.

  And he did. Sarah's grand idea was to turn Adam and his son to the ranks of the undead. Though he understood what she asked of him, Adam's face remained blank.

  “You're other option, of course, is to end this in a firefight. One in which you already know you've lost. So it's a matter of how badly you want your son back?” she asked.

  “Like I said,” Adam replied, looking to her with truth. “I'm willing to do anything to save my son. Anything.”

  “Good. We're making progress Adam.” Sarah replied, grinning a bit as razor-sharp teeth peeked from her lips.

  “My men have no part in it. You need to let them go free, that's all I ask.” Adam said.

  “Why should I do that?” Sarah asked. “They would only strengthen my army.”

  “Because they have families back there waiting for them. You know the sting of losing a loved one. They're here on orders, not on free will.”

  “Fine,” Sarah responded, though she did so with a bit of reluctantly. “They can go, but they need to go now.”

  “And I have your word they won't be harmed?” Adam questioned.

  “They won't be harmed by my soldiers, no. The infected that roam free on this planet, I can make no guarantees.”

  “Thank you.” Adam replied, taking a moment to turn. Facing his men and slowly removing the Benzan amulet which hung from his neck.

  “Sir, it does not have to end this way.” one of Adam's soldiers replied.

  “Sure it does,” Adam replied. Tossing the amulet to his second in command. “Take this back to Commander James and tell him that he'll always be my definition of a true friend. He's been like a brother to me.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Be sure to keep your eyes and ears open on the way back.” Adam added, winking at the man in doing so.

  “You got it sir.” the soldier replied.

  Moments later, the group of marines headed away from camp. Moving quickly back to the area in which they'd be able to communicate with the group holding tight at their shuttle.

  “Alright Adam, I've held my end of the deal.” Sarah replied.

  “May I have a few moments with my son prior to?”

  She searched him out. Trying to make sense of his stalling, though Sarah could never know a father's longing for a son he'd lost.

  “Yes.”

  “Thank you Sarah.” Adam replied, kneeling down to await the embrace of his son.

  Adam's hand pushed into soil that was only inches from his pistol, which remained holstered. He was fast enough to draw it, but knew the Hunters expected such a move. In fact, it was probably Sarah's reasoning for allowing him to hold his son. To test his loyalty to them by giving him a chance fight back.

  He didn't. Adam simply wrapped his arms around Avery and cried a bit. Wondering if it would truly be their last moments together – alive.

  *

  “Any sign of them yet?” Cambria asked.

  “Not yet.” Dalton replied.

  He continued to sit on the ship's bridge, which was faintly lit by a few track lights firmly planted into the room's ceiling. Two crewmen worked, though they did so quietly at about thirty paces from Commander James.

  It had allowed him to sit in the dark and look out across the stars. Waiting for word from his phantom group and drink whiskey in silence, although he did so sparingly. He'd no desire to be drunk and in command. Just sipping from the cup here and there to knock off the nerves of his job.

  “It may be time to join the rest of your people on Second Glimmeria,” Cambria said. “You can leave a shuttle behind to let them know where we are as they return.”

  “Nope,” Dalton replied. “That's not how I do things. These two soldiers put their asses on the line for me and I plan on waiting on them to get back. Personally. I don't leave people behind.”

  “But you wouldn't be leaving anyone behind, dear, you would...” Cambria began to reply.

  “The answer is no.” Dalton reaffirmed with sternness.

  His harsh words led to several moments of deafening silence. Both Dalton and Cambria looking out across the stars.

  “What about Adam?” she asked.

  “Yep, I've heard from him and we have a plan in place.” Dalton replied.

  “Look, I wasn't trying to leave anyone behind alright? I'm sorry.” she admitted.

  “Don't have to be sorry. I know you weren't. I just need you to understand that things have to run d
ifferently now. We've had too many years of leaders who cast off soldiers instead of leading by example. I plan to be different.” Dalton admitted.

  “I know you do.” Cambria said with softness.

  “It may seem like a small thing, waiting on these two to get back. But to them, it isn't. To the crewmen in and out of this bridge, it isn't. They'll all speak of it to others and that carries on down the line. It lets the grunt with a rifle in his hand know that I care about him or her as a soldier. Which I do.” Dalton said.

  “I know you do. You're a good man, Dalton James.” Cambria said.

  “Yea,” he replied. “Too damn good.”

  “Oh really?” she asked with a grin.

  “You need to know that when we get established on Second Glimmeria, I plan to hand the reigns over to someone else.”

  “You plan to do what?” Cambria asked in a very questioning tone.

  “This good guy deal, it ain't me. I'd rather be knee-deep in zombies with a bottle of hootch in one hand and a shotgun in the other.”

  “Dalton, you need to think about this. You have a chance to restart a civilization of people the right way.”

  “I'm going to start us off the right way,” Dalton said, finishing off what little whiskey remained in his glass. “Then I'm going to hand the keys to people I trust and help clean this system of infected. One damn planet at a time.”

  “Oh.”

  “What's the matter?” Dalton asked.

  “I just,” Cambria said with a slight pause. “I just saw us getting settled in. Maybe starting a family.”

  Her words seemed to sting his buzz away. Something he'd thought of himself, though no man is truly ready to have that important talk about it.

  “Truthfully,” Dalton admitted. “I could see myself settling down with you and starting a family,” he added. “But this is something I have to do first. I have to make sure the world our kids grow up in is safe.”

  “I understand.” Cambria replied.

  “It's what I do,” he said. “If I send a group of soldiers out there, I can't guarantee they'll get it done. If I go out there myself, I'll find a way to get it done.”

  Cambria understood.

  His way of life – his smuggling and putting together plans on the fly, they are one of the things she fell in love with. Dalton was like a lion who felt caged. One that smelled of liquor and lust. He was truly a good man with sincerity in his heart. He'd go a long way in ridding the system of infected, if it came to that. She trusted him. She loved him. And Cambria would follow him to the end, no matter what.