Horizons

by Donald B McFarlane

  “That is understandable, Major, but if I land a single shuttle and cure an entire region's malaria, Ebola, or the AIDs crisis in less than a day, other countries will also request this assistance.”

  Joe sat back in his hover chair and glanced down at his missing leg. He wasn’t sure what drugs the medics had pumped into him, but he didn’t feel any pain, and somehow his mind had been distracted from the loss of the limb. “Perhaps a demonstration of this potential is required, one that will have a greater impact.” Joe looked at Soturi, not knowing if the Jin-Mona already knew what he was going to say, and was just being polite by waiting for him to say it. “The President of the United State’s wife is very ill. I would ask that you allow her, and her husband to come here for her medical treatment.”

  “Of course,” Soturi replied quickly. “when can she travel? I think that once we start gaining more trust of the inhabitants of this world, the faster we can make a move on to some of the more dramatic points on the list of prerequisites.”

  Joe leant forward on the table. “What did you have in mind, regarding dramatic?”

  “This planet needs a massive reduction in carbon emissions. That will not be easy to accomplish. And there are too many little conflicts that need to be settled.”

  “That’s rich coming from someone who represents an Alliance that has been at war for seven decades.” Doctor Chan chimed in, never looking up from her mobile device that was in her hands.

  Without saying a word, Soturi looked at Chan, and in the blink of an eye snatched the device out of her hands through the use of telepathy, and crushed it in the air, dumping the shattered device onto the table. With the attention of the table diverted to the broken phone that was sitting on the table, Soturi looked at Joe and did not speak, but let the human know the ground rules.

  “These changes are going to happen, Major. It is just a question of how much you want them to hurt.”

  No one in the room said a thing. Lord Soturi stood up and gave the table one last glance. “Please inform me when the President and his wife would like to arrive, I will make sure that all necessary preparations are made.”

  As Soturi moved away from the table, he sent a final message to Major Hunt. “I can be your greatest ally or your last opponent.”

  Joe blinked twice and shook his head. He wasn’t a fan of this mental eavesdropping. Sitting back in his chair he looked at Rhea, then at the rest of his teammates. They all had a collected look on their faces that mixed fear with anticipation. Looking across the table at Dinalis, Joe tilted his head, giving him a concerned look.

  The Sector Prefect noted the look and put up a hand in protest. “I can assure you, Major, that Lord Soturi will do nothing that violates Alliance First Contact Protocols.” He paused and looked down for a moment, “Unless it is in the name of security.”

  “Many tyrants have used security as an excuse for horrible acts.” Rhea noted.

  “Does this guy have a file, some kind of background we can see?” Joe asked.

  “He should. I’m not sure that I have the necessary access levels to obtain it even if it existed.”

  “See what you can find out. I’d like to know as much as possible about this Jin-Mona.” Joe said almost in a whisper.

  Rhea looked at Joe, then down at his leg, giving his thigh a stroke. “Are you worried?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “I don’t know what to think either.” She noted.

  “Time will tell. I need to call the President.” Joe automatically patted his tight for the sat-phone, which wasn’t there. “Where’s my phone?” He asked.

  “I’m not sure.” She replied.

  “You can contact your President from one of our comms terminals.” Dinalis said as he started to get up from his chair.

  “Thank you.”

  “He did what? Crushed the phone with his mind?” The President was not having a good day. “Do you know the amount of shit we’re getting here and at the UN following this attack? Two hundred thousand dead, Joe. It’s bad. Appalling.”

  “Yes, Mr President.” Joe was attempting to keep his composure before delivering the good news.

  “You’ve lost your leg, we’ve got some kid posting pictures of himself with an alien on Facebook, and then we’ve got this Iraq business, and now we hear there might have been an incursion in Burma.”

  “Burma?”

  “It seems some miners were all knocked unconscious at the same time. It was reported to the police, and someone from the CIA picked up the story. We’re sending a team from the UN out there to investigate now.”

  “Yes, sir,” Joe said as a reflex. “I have some good news, Sir. It looks like they are happy for you and your wife to come here to treat her cancer. Lord Soturi said it will be a goodwill gesture before he deploys medical teams around the world as part of the first phase of their membership qualifications.”

  “Good work, Joe. I really appreciate that.” There was a pause on the line, and Joe thought he could hear the President start to choke up a bit. “Listen, Joe, I’m going to let you go, but I’ll be in touch. We can probably come out in a few days time.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  They said their pleasantries and the call was ended.

  Joe looked at Rhea who had been standing with him the entire time. “I hope this works out.”

  Rhea put her hand on his shoulder. “So do I.”

  “What are we going to do about your parent's house?” He asked.

  “Didn’t anyone tell you? Dinalis had a prefabricated structure assembled while you were receiving treatment. It’s got all the bells and whistles you could hope for.”

  Joe smiled. “Now that is good news. Can we go and have a look?”

  “Of course.” She smiled back and started walking towards the lift, her hand constantly on Joe’s shoulder as he piloted his hover-chair next to her.

  Joe tried to focus on the good news he had just received, but he was still worried about Soturi. Was the destruction of Doctor Chan’s phone posturing, or was it a sign of things to come? It was evident to him that he was powerful, both physically and mentally, and most importantly, answered only to the most senior members of the Alliance.

  39

  Sinus Fu had received the necessary medical attention from Kio before the ship set down on Rancor 7 that would allow him to present his report to the base commander without assistance. When he had returned to the mother-ship, Kio had given him the news about the mineral found on the alien world, and it bolstered his feelings about the mission's overall success. It wasn’t unusual to suffer casualties on any reconnaissance mission, but losing two-thirds of his team was a not something that Fu was accustomed to.

  Wearing his garrison uniform, Fu made his way from his ship through the still quiet hanger to the base commander's office to find it vacant. He was sure that he been told by the station communications operator that the commander would be waiting for them, but instead, he found an empty office. Still tired from his swim, he sat down in one of the extra chairs in the room and closed his eyes.

  When the base commander finally made his appearance, Fu was sound asleep, but this didn’t trouble the commander. He had been sent a mission brief and was still reading it when he sat down behind his desk. In addition to the information that Fu and Kio had reported from the planet's surface, the report contained information on the number and type of ships in orbit, which were greater in number and capability than those that his first raiding party had encountered.

  Setting down the datapad he was reading, he cleared his throat loud enough to startle Fu awake. “So, Sinus Fu. I have read your report. It seems you abandoned an entire team on the planet's surface.”

  Fu sat up straight in his chair and looked at the commander. “No, Sir. We intercepted communications that my two operatives were captured and handed over to Alliance authorities. I did not consider the possibility of a rescue mission.”

  The commander already knew that, but wanted to hear it from the
man himself. “Very well. Now, this crystal, or mineral; do you have it?”

  Fu reached into his pocket and produced the small piece of crystal that was still housed in the vial that Kio had placed it in. He stood up and handed it to the commander before sitting back down.

  The commander took the vial and gave its contents an inquisitive look before setting it down and continuing to scan the datapad. “It seems we should get this to our scientists at once for analysis.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The commander put down the datapad. “What is your impression from your mission of the people on the planet?”

  “They are clearly in league with the Alliance. But I think that they are in the early stages of any relationship. There were no signs of Alliance forces away from the PCS ship which was my primary recon target.”

  “That would make sense.” The commander turned from Fu and hit his desks comms unit and called to the bases small science lab and requested their senior representative's presence.

  “If this mineral has value, we could both proffer from this, Fu.”

  “How do you mean, Sir?”

  “There are ways to forward our careers if this turns out to be something fleet command is interested in.”

  Fu nodded in silence. He knew that the base commander was taking risks that might have been above his station. Sending a single ship to investigate a transmission and losing it, and following that up by sending ten more ships that never returned was not a way to advance one's career. His last gambit was Fu and his infiltration team. He wasn’t sure what he had told the commander on Ravulo to authorise the deployment of the team, but it must have been his last card to play.

  “If you excuse me, Sir.” Fu got up from his chair and exited the room. He had to help Kio finish up the final steps to repatriate Twiv’s body to his home-world, and he knew that the commander’s singular focus on bettering his fortune on the back of others was starting to irk him.

  Back at the ship, Kio had already filled out the necessary forms and was ready to hand over Twiv’s body to a logistical officer when Fu returned.

  “You were lucky to survive that attack.” Fu commented. He had seen the size of the beast that had attacked Twiv on Kio’s suit camera during their after action review.

  “We both were lucky. A few more degrees off and that fragment could have killed you.” Kio pointed at Fu’s midsection where his wound was.

  The pair watched as the logistical officer closed the lid on the hover-coffin that they had placed Twiv in and began to push their dead comrade away.

  Saying nothing, the pair walked up the ramp of the ship and set about their post-mission duties. Shimmer Suits had to be cleaned. Weapons had to be checked, and inventories stocked up. Fu wasn’t sure when they were going to be allowed to return to Ravulo, but as far as he was concerned, the sooner, the better.

  “I’m going to send a report to our commander.” Fu commented as he moved to the ships comms station.

  “Is that wise, you know the base commander here won’t like that.”

  “We’ll need new operators when we return. Might as well let them have as much warning as possible.”

  Kio nodded. “At this rate, there won’t be any Shimmer Suits left before too long.”

  Fu rubbed his forehead. “I can assure you, I’m not going to Jarosis to pick anymore Valunis Fibres. Too risky.”

  “Too risky.”

  “Too risky.” Fu turned on the comms unit, and entered his passcode and pulled up the communications channel to reach Ravulo, and his superiors, but when he tried to initiate a transmission, the system wouldn’t work. He tried again, double-checking the codes and the channel. Everything was in order, but he was still unable to make a transmission. Quickly changing channels, he contacted the base control room to get an answer to his troubles, only to be told that the base was restricting all off-world communications unless they were approved by the base commander.

  Fu ended the transmission and looked at Kio. “It seems like the base commander doesn’t want news of his follies getting off-world.”

  Kio took a swing at the wall with enough force to leave a small imprint. “He’s been freelancing. Your next wages says he didn’t have authorisation from the fleet for any of this.” Kio looked down, then back to Fu. “Did he even tell Ravulo about this world past the Reach?”

  Fu let out a laugh. Kio was right. The base commander hadn’t told anyone anything and was now out eleven ships, and most of an insertion team. And now he was trying to figure out how to keep it under wraps. Which was going to be impossible for much longer.

  The next two hours passed without incident for Fu and Kio who went about their tasks as they would after every mission. This included the bagging of all of their missing team members kit and typing up their reports to give to their superiors on Ravulo. Once the reports were completed, they set about checking and rechecking their equipment to ensure that it was primed and ready for their mission, wherever and whenever that might be.

  When the messenger from the base commanders office walked onto their ship, they knew they were in for a curious debrief on what Kio had discovered on the world beyond the Reach. The pair quickly stowed the weapons they were working on and followed the orderly from the still calm hanger bay, along with a few sets of long corridors until they reached the commander's office.

  The scene upon their arrival was not what either of them was expecting. The commander was behind his desk, leaning back in his chair, a glass in his hand, and an open bottle of spirits on his desk. Two glasses, full to the brim where across from him, primed for consumption.

  “Grab a drink, you have done well!” The commander boomed. It was clear that he had had a head start on the operators.

  “I do not follow you, Sir. I lost men in the field. I do not,”

  “Shut up and take the glass, Fu!” The commander yelled, rising from his chair. “I know. I know. You’ve lost some good operators, but! But! I think you will find that the sacrifice has not been in vain.” The commander gestured to the glasses, which Fu and Kio took grudgingly. “Look at this.” The chief moved around to the side of his desk where a large data-screen occupied a significant portion of the wall. “This is the results of the tests that were run on the mineral that Kio brought back with him.” The commander looked at Kio and winked.

  Fu shook his head and looked down at his glass, bringing it up to his nose, he took a whiff. It was obviously Falusian Brandy. Very expensive, and very hard to obtain. He looked back to the commander who was attempting to give the pair a very technical rundown on what Kio had brought back, but the two operators were warriors, not scientists.

  “If you would be so kind, Sir, and simply explain what you are saying.” Fu interjected into the commander's rant.

  “Good point. Fu. You are a man of action, I understand that.” The commander took another sip from his glass. “This.” He jabbed his finger at the screen. “Is the key to victory.” He twisted his head around and looked at the screen and grinned.

  “And?” Kio added.

  “This mineral.” He paused. The brandy was clearly having its effect. “Has the potential to double our warships firepower. Increase their jump range without being such a burden as water. It could revolutionise the fleet.”

  Fu looked at Kio. “Well done.” They touched glasses, and each took a sip of the drink. The power of the brandy hit them like a bolt from an energy rifle. They both rarely drank, and the Falusian Brady was a little much for the novice drinkers to handle. They both sank down into the chairs across from the commander's desk, and both took another sip simultaneously.

  The commander moved around his desk and planted himself back into his commander’s seat with a broad grin on his face. “I was always a fleet guy. I never understood the motivation to join the ground forces. You are down there in all the mud and the blood. It’s messy, it’s not civilised. You know there is lore of a weapon from the time of the Empire that could kill all life on a planet with a single
blast. Could destroy entire fleets with a few well-placed shots.” The commander pointed back to the screen which had an image of the mineral, rotating slowly. “This could change everything. It could bring back the glory of the former Empire.”

  Fu nodded, then allowed gravity to take his face down to the glass that he was grasping tightly in his right hand. He allowed his lips to touch the rim of the glass, then tilted it back, letting the smooth liquid run into his mouth. It hit every taste-bud he had. The flavour was rich and reminded him of home, a place he hadn’t visited in years. When the brandy hit his throat, it created a warm sensation, and he closed his eyes as he swallowed. It was magical how something as simple as a liquid could make him feel at ease and calm. It let him wash away the sad thoughts that occupied his mind on a constant basis and let him suppress his sadness and frustration at what he considered a failed mission.

  When Fu finally let his lips pull away from the glass, he looked up. First at Kio, and then at the base commander, and then let a truth off his chest that he had felt since the first day he had put on a uniform. “We can only bring back the glory of the Empire when the Empire comes back together.”

  40

  Air Force One had touched down at Lewis-McChord, sixty kilometres south of Seattle almost a full hour ahead of schedule, and ten days after the Coalition attack that had ravaged the 73rd. There had been an air of urgency of late in the White House, and among the security and support personnel due to the rapidly deteriorating nature of the First Lady’s cancer. Everyone had prepared themselves for the inevitable, but with the offer of assistance from the aliens, hopes had risen, and there was a chance that the pilot had pushed the 747 just a little harder to reach the west coast that cold December day.

  Even though the flight had arrived early, Major Hunt, Doctor Stokes, and Sector Prefect Dinalis were already waiting on the cold tarmac to watch the jet come to a halt. When the First Lady was brought down the steps to the waiting party, made up of local military personnel and senior politicians, there was a sullen silence hanging over the group when they saw the state of the once formidable lady.