Alexander’s comm band trilled, interrupting his thoughts. He muttered a curse under his breath and lunged for the end table where he’d left it. Fumbling around in the drawer, he pulled out the device and brought it up to his lips.
“What?” he answered, getting ready to bite the caller’s head off.
“It’s Captain Tristan, sir.”
“What are you doing up at this hour?” he asked in a fierce whisper. He climbed out of bed and went to the office adjoining his quarters so he could speak without waking Caty or Dorian. “No, never mind,” he went on as he waved open the door and breezed through to his desk. “What are you doing calling me at this hour?”
“It’s important, sir.”
“I’m listening.”
“We received a transmission from a Minister Wang Jun, who is claiming to be the Confederate Chancellor’s direct representative. Apparently the Chancellor wants to re-open peace talks.”
“Then why isn’t he calling Acting President Luther?”
“He wants you to negotiate the treaty. According to Mr. Wang, any man who would rather betray his country than his conscience is a man who can be trusted.”
Alexander snorted. “They got it all backward, Captain. I didn’t betray my country; my country betrayed me.”
“Semantics, Admiral. What would you like me to tell Mr. Wang?”
“They’re still waiting for a reply?”
“Yes.”
“Tell him I’ll be right there to speak with him myself.”
“See you soon then, sir.”
Going back to his quarters, Alexander crossed over to his locker and pulled out a fresh uniform. He was halfway through getting dressed when Caty woke up to ask what he was doing.
“The Confederacy wants to sign a peace treaty. Apparently I’m the only one they trust enough to negotiate the terms.”
“What?” Caty asked, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Where are you going? It could be a trap, Alex.”
“Relax, I’m not going anywhere—” He said while yanking on his boots. “—just to the bridge to answer their transmission. If I do meet with anyone it will be in neutral territory, under tightly-controlled circumstances.”
“Okay… but be careful what you agree to.”
“I will, darling,” he said, now buttoning up his uniform. Once dressed, he crossed over to her side of the bed and dropped a quick peck on her lips. “Go back to sleep.”
“I love you,” she said.
“Me, too,” he replied as he headed out the door and ran down the corridor to the nearest elevator.
Less than five minutes later, Alexander stepped out of that elevator and onto the bridge.
Captain Tristan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, staring out over the moonlit waters of the Indian Ocean. The rest of the bridge crew sat at their stations, almost too busy to notice his arrival. A petty officer standing guard by the doors announced him—
“Admiral on deck!”
Everyone looked away from their stations to offer a brisk salute.
“As you were,” Alexander said. “Report, Captain.”
Captain Tristan turned from the view and nodded. “Good to see you, Admiral—Lieutenant Campos, get Minister Wang back on the comms.”
“Aye, Captain… connection established. Transmitting.”
“On-screen,” Tristan replied.
Alexander stopped beside Captain Tristan, and watched as the viewport directly in front of them faded from moonlit waters to the unsmiling face of a Chinese man with narrow, aristocratic features and hawkish light gray eyes.
“It is the Lion himself. A pleasure to meet you.”
“Good evening, Minister,” Alexander replied. “I’m told your government wants to talk terms.”
“What’s left of my government, yes.”
“I’m listening.”
“We would like to put an end to the fighting in exchange for amnesty for all our soldiers and all our people, myself and the chancellor included.”
“So no one gets to pay for their crimes.”
“The victor will always try to pin the blame on their enemy, but ask yourself—did we do anything that your government did not also do? Did our soldiers take more lives than yours? If we keep score to see who committed the greater evil, I am certain that the Alliance will win.”
Alexander frowned, unable to argue with that. “Listen, Mr. Wang, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but you’re talking to the wrong man. My government has not given me the authority to negotiate a peace treaty, so anything I agree to isn’t official.”
“We are giving you that authority by insisting that you be the one to communicate our terms to your new president. When you do so, be sure to remind him that we are giving up our way of life, allowing your government to come in and turn everything upside down—if that is what they think is best—and in exchange, all that we ask is that you do not make us the scapegoats for this war. Both sides have done terrible things, but it is time for humanity to put terrible things aside, yes?”
“I couldn’t agree more, Minister,” Alexander said, nodding. “I’ll communicate your terms. I sincerely hope my government accepts them. Is there anything else you would like to add?”
“A word of caution.”
“And that is?”
“Our surrender does not guarantee the surrender of all Confederate forces everywhere, or a smooth transition of power. All it means is that you will have created a safe place for as many people as possible to lay down their arms and go on with their lives.”
Alexander narrowed his eyes at that. “Either you’re double-talking, or your government no longer has the authority to give orders to its troops.”
“If I were trying to deceive you, I would not warn you ahead of time. As for how much authority still rests with my government—that remains to be seen. If nothing else, having an official treaty in place will give the appearance of unity. That is a step in the right direction, Admiral.”
“Agreed. I’ll relay your terms to the president.”
“Good.”
“How do I reach you again?”
“I’m not going anywhere, but if you or any of your people try to capture me or harm me in any way, this deal is off the table.”
“Understood. And how do we know that you have the authority to negotiate for the Chancellor?”
“Because I am his son.” The camera shifted sideways, and a more familiar face swept into view. Chancellor Wang Ping had been standing there all along, listening to the entire exchange.
Alexander blinked. “Chancellor…”
“Take our terms to your government. It’s time to end this war.”
Alexander nodded. “I’ll be in touch, Chancellor.”
The chancellor nodded, and both he and his son faded from view as the transmission ended. The viewport became transparent once more, and back was the moonlit ocean.
Captain Tristan blew out a breath. “I didn’t see that coming.”
“Neither did I,” Alexander replied.
“Let’s hope President Luther goes for it.”
Alexander nodded, his eyes narrowing on the dark line of the horizon, as if trying to peer into tomorrow. “We’ll find out soon enough, Captain. Get me President Luther on the comms.”
* * *
Six Months and One Week Later - September 17, 2793
“I’m resigning my commission tomorrow,” Alexander said, setting his briefcase down on the kitchen counter as he walked in.
Caty turned from washing carrots in the sink. Her eyes flew wide, and before Alexander knew it, she dropped the carrots and leapt into his arms. He caught her with a grunt and stumbled back a step. She showered him with kisses, and he began to laugh.
She withdrew, suddenly suspicious. “You’re not joking, are you?”
He shook his head.
“I thought you said you had some unfinished business to attend to—that’s why you were staying an extra week.”
> “I did, but that’s all settled now.”
Caty smiled, her eyes sparkling, and went back to kissing him. “Someone’s getting lucky tonight,” she murmured against his neck as she unbuttoned his uniform.
Alexander’s comm band trilled and he caught Caty’s wrists in his hands, stopping her from undressing him. “I need to take this.”
“Hmmm.”
“Don’t worry. It won’t take long.”
“It better not,” she said, climbing off him and wagging a finger in his face. She grabbed his face with one hand, smushing his cheeks together. “You’re mine now.”
He smiled and nodded. In the distance he heard Dorian crying from his crib. Alexander jerked his chin in that direction. “Sounds like someone’s calling you, too.”
Caty went to check on Dorian, and Alexander turned away to answer his call.
“Admiral de Leon speaking.”
“Admiral, it’s Stone—sorry to bother you—just checking to see where you’d like to send our new conscript.”
Alexander considered that for a moment. The war had ended six months ago with the signing of the World Peace Treaty of 2793, which Alexander had personally helped to negotiate, but ironically the Alliance needed soldiers now more than ever. Not everyone was content to stop the fighting, and defending the entire planet against random acts of terror was no small task. The military had effectively been co-opted into a kind of heavily-armed police force, and Alexander didn’t see the need for soldiers diminishing anytime soon.
“What about Stalingrad?” he said. “Nice and cold, and I hear the Russian Reds are even more formidable than the Chinese ones.”
“Are you sure, sir?”
“Something you’d like to get off your chest, Lieutenant?”
“He’s your son’s father. If he dies, you might catch some heat from that.”
“We’re not doing anything illegal, Stone. He should have thought about the consequences before he decided to cross state lines without a passport. You think it’s fair that he gets a free pass and the rest of us all had to risk life and limb to get here?”
“No, sir.”
“Besides, a man who beats a woman is a coward. If he lives out his term of service, at least we can be sure that he won’t be one anymore. It’s about time he picked a fight with someone who could fight back. You have your orders.”
“Yes, sir. Stalingrad it is.”
“De Leon out.” Alexander ended the comm call and turned to see his wife facing him, arms crossed over her chest, her blue eyes sad and full of disappointment. He started when he saw her and tried to affect a smile, hoping that she hadn’t overheard much.
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Alex. Dorian is going to ask about him one day.”
Alexander felt his expression darken. “Let him ask. I’ll tell him that I obeyed the law and his biological father broke it. Whatever happens, it’s on David’s head, not mine.”
Caty shrugged and looked away. “You keep telling yourself that.”
“Why shouldn’t he pay for what he did?”
“What he did to me, or by breaking the law?”
“Both.”
Caty sighed. “I didn’t say he shouldn’t be punished, just that I didn’t want you to get your hands dirty. I don’t want our son to blame you someday.”
“He can’t blame me for something he doesn’t know.”
“Lies have a way of revealing themselves, Alex. Not even silence can keep them. The truth always comes out.”
Alexander walked up behind his wife as she went back to washing vegetables in the sink. He wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, “You let me handle that. When the time comes, he’ll understand.”
“I hope you’re right, Alexander.”
“I am, but let’s not talk about this anymore,” he said, turning her to face him. “We should be celebrating. I’m done with the navy!”
Caty cracked a smile. “We’re done. So now what? What are you going to do for a living? Have you thought about it? Jobs aren’t exactly easy to come by.”
“I’ll find something. Anything. Teach myself a trade if I have to. The sky’s the limit, Caty.”
“No it isn’t.”
Alexander regarded her with a curious look.
“You of all people should know that. You’ve been to space, so the sky is clearly not the limit.”
“Ha ha,” Alexander said, smiling wryly at her. “You know what I meant.”
“Do I?”
“I meant that we’re only limited by what we can dream or imagine. Anything is possible.”
Caty nodded slowly. “After what the Alliance did to you with the Excelsior program, I might actually believe that.”
Alexander frowned. “When that technology becomes commercially available, we’re going to end up with more virtual worlds than real ones.”
“Just so long as you don’t trade me for a virtual wife, we’ll be okay.”
Alexander regarded her with a lopsided grin and grabbed her face in his hands for another kiss. “Never.”
He withdrew, allowing a whisper to escape from her lips. “Never is a long time.”
“But time is an illusion.”
Caty smiled and kissed him again.
MINDSCAPE
(2nd Edition)
by Jasper T. Scott
www.JasperTscott.com
Copyright © 2016 by Jasper T. Scott
THE AUTHOR RETAINS ALL RIGHTS
FOR THIS BOOK
Reproduction or transmission of this book, in whole or in part, by electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or by any other means is strictly prohibited, except with prior written permission from the author. You may direct your inquiries to [email protected]
Cover design by Tom Edwards
TomEdwardsDesign.com
This book is a work of fiction. All names, places, and incidents described are products of the writer’s imagination and any resemblance to real people or life events is purely coincidental.
Acknowledgments
I owe a great big thank you to my wife for her support. Without her there to weather a perfect storm of domestic crises, I would never get anything done! Stay-at-home parent is one of the toughest jobs there is.
Next up, I’d like to thank my editing team. My professional editor, Aaron Sikes, and my two volunteer editors, David Cantrell and William Schmidt, were invaluable to perfecting this manuscript. You three made a half-decent book great.
I also owe a big, big thank you to all of my beta readers. These are the brave souls who volunteered to read an early draft of the book. They waded with me through typos, info dumps, logical inconsistencies, boring scenes, flat characters, and a host of other literary obstacles on our way to the finished manuscript. Thank you, Allan Clark, Bill Gassoway, Bob Carciofini, Carmen Romano, Charlene Carney, Daniel Eloff, Dave Topan, David Smith, Davis Shellabarger, Duncan Mcleod, Emmett Young, Gary Matthews, Gaylon Overton, George Dixon, Gerald Geddings, Gregg Cordell, Gregor Hinckley, Hank Ciniglia, Ian F. Jedlica, Ian Seccombe, Jay Gehringer, Jeff Belshaw, Jeremy Gunkel, Jim Meinen, John H. Kuhl, John K. Nash, John Parker, Larry Lemma, LeRoy Vermillion, Mary Kastle, Michael Madsen, Paul Birch, Raymond Burt, Rob Dobozy, Susan Stearns, Steve Sharp, Susan Nelson, and Victor Biedrycki.
Finally, I’d like to thank everyone who helped me with my research into the impact event described in this book: Rudy Adkins, Tim Ross, Robert Weyer, Daniel Eloff, Gray Browne, Greg Kirkpatrick, Robert Weyer, Lyle Diediker, Joe Czolnik, Lloyd West, Henry Straley, Andrew Wilson, Cash Monet, John Treadwell, Jeff Morris, Dylan Dinh, and Henry Espinoza. It was great consulting with you all!
For the Muse.
Dramatis Personae
The Crew of the Adamantine:
Bridge Crew (White Deck)
O-7 RDML - Admiral Alexander de Leon
O-5 CDR - Commander Viviana McAdams
-Ship's Executive Officer (XO)
O-5 CDR - Commander Eduardo Stone
/>
-Starfighter and Drone
Command/Head of Security
O-3 LT - Lieutenant Guillermo Cardinal
-Weapons Chief
O-3 LT - Lieutenant Luis Hayes
-Comms Officer/Senior Information
Systems Technician
O-3 LT - Lieutenant Frost
-Sensor Operator
O-3 LT - Lieutenant Rodriguez
-Chief of Engineering
O-3 LT - Lieutenant Bishop
-Helmsman
Alliance Leaders
President Wallace
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Admiral Durand
-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Fleet Admiral Richard Anderson
-Chairman of Naval Operations
General Russo
-Commandant of the Marine Corps
General Eriksson
-Chief of Staff of the Air Force
Ministers/Cabinet Members
Donna Harris
-Secretary of Commerce
Jacob Jackson
-Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Senators
Senator Catalina de Leon
Senator Harris
Solarian Republic Leaders
President Luther
Captain Vrokovich
Civilians and Other
Dorian de Leon A.K.A. Angel Hunter
-Director at Mindsoft
Phoenix Gray
-Owner of Mindsoft
Orochi Sakamoto
-Owner of Sakamoto Robotics
Benevolence (Ben)
-AI prototype from Mindsoft
Captain Grekov
A Summary of Excelsior
30 Years Prior to the events in Mindscape…
It is the year 2790 AD, and Earth is in the throes of the Second Cold War. The world is divided between two governments—the First World Alliance in the West and the Confederacy in the East.
Medical advances allow us to engineer our children and even stop people from aging. These engineered, immortal offspring are called “geners” while those who were naturally born are called “de-gener-ates.”
In the Confederacy everyone is a gener, and they’re all engineered to make communism work, while in the Alliance only the children of the wealthy are born geners.
New Frontiers- The Complete Series Page 37