Meeting in the Stars (Marston Chronicles Book 3)

by D Patrick Wagner

  Fifteen minutes later, Fleet-Admiral Weiskoff took his place at the center of the round table, filled with military and civilian men and women. They all waited while an aid supplied everyone with their preferred refreshments and left, leaving the room secure for a frightening and painful discussion.

  “Welcome, all. Let’s get to it. We’ve all seen the latest intelligence from our scout ship in Bridgelen. Heimdallr. Right, Captain?”

  “That is correct, sir.”

  “The aliens have a fleet pointed at Cencore. A fleet which will be hard to stop. Another is sitting at the Dorogon gate and another is arriving. We have no idea about what they plan on doing with these other two fleets. The table is open for discussion.”

  “Just that one fleet matches our tonnage. From the reports, their armor is tougher and there weapons hit harder, Fleet-Admiral.”

  “All that is true, Admiral Cruz. If we fight them in open space. But we plan on bottling them up at the gate.”

  “These new X-weapons. They can punch through that alien armor?”

  “You saw the vids. One shot crippled a super dreadnaught. An X-bomb took out four destroyers. They will do the job.”

  “What happens if they break through?”

  “That would not be good, Senator Campbell.”

  “We’re putting all our eggs in one basket, then.”

  “We don’t have a choice, Senator. If we let the alien ships in, we will be slaughtered. We stop them at the gate.”

  “What about evacuation?”

  “Mrs. Weber?”

  “Per President Barnes’s orders, I’ve been charged with commandeering as large a fleet as possible and setting up a priority list of people flagged for evacuation. The list will be prioritized to select those that are the most capable in protecting the survival of Humanity.”

  “To that end, we are converting Hodr into a city ship.”

  “But, that dreadnaught is to be used to fight the aliens, Admiral!”

  “That was the original purpose, Senator. But it will not be war-worthy in time. As of this day, it is capable of becoming a survival ship. It will become the flagship of the survival fleet that Mrs. Weber is organizing.”

  “When will the evacuation begin?”

  “Doctor Lang is the lead scientist on the Federacy AI Research and Development team. Doctor Lang?”

  “The selection process has already begun. Our AI team has built the survival algorithm matrix and interfaced it with Olympia’s population data base. The Central Federacy AI is currently running survival requirement scenarios and building the skills and temperament requirements. Also included will be psychographic and sociographic requirements. Conclusions should be defined by week’s end. The next step will be matching up viable candidates with the resultant requirements.”

  “What are the priorities? How do we sign up?”

  “No signing up, Governor Haas. The AI will determine the selection and order.”

  “But I, and all of the people in this room, have dedicated our lives to the Federacy! That should account for something!” the Governor slapped his palm on the table, emphasizing his quasi-demand.

  “Political acumen is one of the criteria, Governor. As is military acumen.”

  “Let’s table this discussion until after the selections have been generated, gentlemen, ladies. Back to our defenses. General Simmons. Ground forces?”

  “Not much, Fleet-Admiral. We never felt the need for a large standing army. What we have is mostly space-based. Rapid striking forces. We never saw the need for local fortifications.”

  “That’s what I thought. Get together with Mrs. Weber. Coordinate with her for the location, extraction and delivery of the selected individuals and families. We’ll use our ground forces for that.”

  “Sir, Yes, Sir.”

  “Now, let’s get down to planning our defense and the evacuation of our people.”

  “Fleet-Admiral Weiskoff had been correct. The meeting took the entire day and part of the night. Many heated arguments occurred. A couple of civilians sulked. In the end, the plans of action took form, with the details to be handled by the underlings.

  Oishi Scout Team

  Three days of running and hiding. Seventy-eight hours. No rest. Only quick bites. Water and sustenance foraged from cactus plants. But Taketa and Juro, exhausted, starving and thirsty, reached the mountain range. They plunged into the forest just hours ahead of the three alien search teams. The coolness of the shade, the dampness of the air revitalized the two desperate Nightshades. Once concealed, both deactivated their chameleon suits, suddenly popping into existence as the light-bending properties ceased. Without sunlight, the solar collectors wouldn’t keep their suit batteries charged.

  “Twenty, Mappai.”

  “Hai, Sousui.”

  Both men searched and found broad leaves cradling water. They drank deeply. Pulling grasses and mushrooms, they ate.

  Taketa pulled out his tablet, called up his scout drone and began searching the surrounding area. He found the three alien pursuit squads vectoring in on his and Juro’s forest entrance. Keeping the drone high, he searched their forward direction.

  “We know the bugs are very comfortable on land. Let’s see how they like water.”

  “The plan, Sousui?”

  “Twenty kilometres up the range there is a gorge. A river. We take the current. Lose them that way.”

  “Hai.”

  “Time.”

  Like the well-trained team that they were, the two policed their rest spot, removing all evidence of their presence and quietly moved deeper into the forest. Still wearing their rucking shoes, they disappeared into the crenulated shadows, leaving no trace of their passing.

  Reaching the crest, the two continued their mad dash, fleeing from the three alien kill teams on their trail. They reached the cliff. Looking down, the Nightshades saw the sheer, rock face dropping to the rushing river at its foot.

  Pulling ropes and climbing gear from their packs, Taketa and Juro pounded pitons into cracks of the rock. Belaying double lines, they tied off, turned backwards and walked off the cliff. Looking over shoulders, the two repeatedly sprang away from the face, released some line and, further down, regained contact with the rock face.

  Quickly reaching the bottom of the deep gorge, the two, working as one, flicked and pulled their secondary lines which released the knots on the pitons. Their lines dropped. They repacked their gear and quietly moved to the rushing river.

  “Current isn’t bad, Sousui.”

  “For you, maybe. You’re the water seal. I like my good, solid land. There. A couple of good logs.”

  “Maneuvering won’t be difficult. The current is steady. Did you spot any rapids with the drone?”

  “Not for about nine kilometres.”

  “Nine. That should be enough to lose our tails.”

  “Let’s go, Mappai.”

  “Hai.”

  Taketa and Juro donned their dry suits, checking that gear and weapons wouldn’t be ruined by their time in the river. Pulling on their facemasks and checking their rebreathers, both found the equipment still functioning after the days of rugged escaping. Then they dragged their logs to the water, pushed them in and followed. Grabbing hold, the two Nightshades variously floated or paddled for the next nine kilometres, hoping to leave the alien kill teams behind.

  Trotzig Medical Center

  “How are you liking your new digs, Doctor Roth?”

  “Not funny, Country. I’m not qualified to run a medical center. I’m just a veterinarian.”

  “True. But also a corpsman. And a staff sergeant. So you get to play administrator.”

  “That’s your bailiwick. You like running things. Now you and Sean are running a town. Give me my animals, any day.”

  “Speaking of animals, how is the First Battalion shaping up?”

  “Be nice. They’re going to save our butts when the time comes.”

  “I know. Just fooling.”

  “Comi
ng around. It’s only been a month, but we’re getting there. We’ve got a lot of old dogs that want back into the fight. So we need to take them slow. Stein’s team is the best. But that would make sense. They’ve been training together since they got here. The next battalion should be easier.”

  “Happy with your medical staff?”

  “You’re never happy with a current medical staff. You always want more.”

  “We’re still looking. You’ve got what? Three military doctors. Seventeen corpsmen. And the estimable Doc Meyers.” Harriet smiled at the last.

  “Doctor Meyers. A large animal vet. Yup. I’ll take all of the help I can get. Well, it’s time. I need to sit with our new staff. Start assigning floors and wings. Want to watch?”

  “That’s why I’m here. Us city administrators need to keep an eye on everything Trotzig related.” Again she smirked at Randy’s discomfort.

  She held his hand as they walked to the conference room. Just before they entered, she released her grip and put on her professional pose. Randy followed suit.

  Randy took his spot at the head of the table. Harriet found an empty chair against the wall.

  “Doctors. Ladies and Gentlemen. This is really awkward for me. I’m more used to working on pigs and chickens.”

  Randy waited for the laugh to die down.

  “War is coming. The aliens have taken Bridgelen. Our Intel says that the alien armada is poised to strike at Cencore. And it will destroy Cencore. Where it goes next, we don’t know. But it will eventually arrive on our doorstep. I sit here and I see three doctors and seventeen corpsmen. Oh, and a veterinarian.”

  “Again, Randy waited for the laugh to subside.

  “Mr. Gregor and Governor Moreno are shipping in equipment as fast as they procure it. We will have a state-of-the-art facility within a month. What we don’t have are administrators, technicians, support staff. This next month, we need to fill this medical center with all of the people needed to keep it running. That will be our immediate goal. To that end, I am going to ask the City Manager, Harriet Gregor, for help in filling out those positions. For those of you who don’t know her, that’s her, hiding in the corner.”

  Everyone looked. Randy gave his love a double eyebrow lift and a smirk.

  “Thank you, Staff Sergeant Roth. We have been compiling lists of people and their skill sets. I will set up and sort for those who can help out. It will be up to you to recruit them.”

  Everyone turned back to Randy. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Harriet stick her tongue out at him. He held back the laugh.

  “Currently, we have almost one hundred and sixty thousand ex-military unbricked, chemically supplied and ready to support the war effort. Of those, a little less than twenty-nine thousand are currently on the parade grounds, re-familiarizing themselves with military discipline. Expect injured to be arriving on our doorstep fairly soon. And now, let’s all go down to the cafeteria and get to know each other. Tomorrow we begin assigning floors, wings and areas of responsibility. So, as the cliché goes, ‘let’s eat, drink and be merry’.”

  Sanctuary

  When Gloria heard that Halcyon had announced its proximity to Sanctuary, she immediately closed the meeting and spruced up, preparing to meet her husband after their five month absence. Hopping in her electric cart she wove her way through the housing and fields to arrive at the cargo docks just as the family yacht attached to the gangway. By the time the seals connected and the tunnel aerated, Gregor’s wife had reached the entrance tunnel and found herself staring through the port, eagerly waiting to un-dog the hatch. When Halcyon’s hatch opened and Lawrence strode through, Gloria twisted the six handles at her end, spun the locking wheel and pulled open the door.

  After the few short steps, Lawrence pulled his wife into an embrace and softly spoke, “Missed you, Babe.”

  “Same here.”

  Releasing her, he pulled back and gave her a love kiss. “I brought someone. I thought you could use some help.”

  By this time Jeff and Anna had gathered around, waiting for the Gregor royalty to finish their greeting.

  “Anna! Good to see you.”

  “Good to see you, too, Gloria.”

  “You won’t think so after you see all of the work we need to do. Welcome back, Jeff. Where is the rest of the crew?”

  “Hank’s back at the yards. Shelley’s home. But you probably know that. The rest, I left on Tolimar. Harriet and Sean are doing a good job, getting things ready.”

  “Jean coming?”

  “She’s shutting down Halcyon. Then she’s heading over to her family. She’s had enough of me for a lifetime.”

  “I’m glad she got you here, safe. I’ll check on her later. But now, let’s go get you settled in. Jeff, your condo is just as you left it. Karen and your kids are there, also. Anna, you’ll stay with us, in our guest wing.”

  “I couldn’t do that. I don’t want to be a bother.”

  “You are never a bother. I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

  The four-seat cart barely held all of them and what luggage Jeff and Anna brought. The ride back through the colony reminded everyone of how efficient and beautiful this hollowed out asteroid had become. With Gloria driving, Lawrence, Jeff and Anna saw the well-organized, bustling cargo bay, filled with cargo and foodstuffs being loaded and distributed throughout the hidden colony.

  “Looks efficient, Babe.”

  “I try, Dear. With all the extra mouths to feed, we had to up our game. The Bay Manager you appointed, Zach, he’s doing a really good job. Doesn’t get much sleep. Most of us don’t. We could really use Tony.”

  “He’s stuck on Tolimar, setting up the new town, and all.”

  By now, they reached and passed through the huge blast doors which, in an emergency, could seal off the cargo bay from the rest of the habitat. Gloria weaved her way through the fields of grain, the orchards of fruit-bearing trees and the grounds of tubers, angling towards the multi-tiered housing complex. With the golden, mid-day light bathing Sanctuary’s habitat, the three arrivals basked and relaxed during their ride, commenting on the quality and fullness of the crops, the mist systems and the fields of workers hand-picking the bounty.

  Reaching the Gregor residence, everyone climbed out and the Gregor butler rushed up.

  “Walter, please have Mr. Chandler’s bags delivered to his suite. Put Mrs. McCauley’s in the guest wing.”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” He responded while signalling two servants to grab and deliver the luggage.

  “Jeff, you know where your suite is. Anna, just follow your luggage. Walter will get you settled in. Oh, and dinner is at seven. Our home.”

  Jeff and Anna thanked their hostess, promised to attend and disappeared towards their new quarters.

  Gloria took Lawrence’s hand in hers and led him to the Gregor living quarters. Reaching the living area, she pushed him down onto the couch, turned and headed towards the wet bar.

  “Bourbon. Neat, three fingers, coming right up.”

  “Ah, it’s good to be back.”

  “Good to have you home, Dear. Home. We will probably never see Gregor Manor again.”

  “Sad, but true. Sad, but true. How have you been?”

  “Busy. Always tired. But that’s a good thing. If I had nothing to do, I would probably worry myself silly, with the alien invasion, Harriet off on her own. You traipsing around the stars.”

  “Well, Harriet isn’t exactly on her own.”

  “I know. Sean, Tony and Donny are there. They’ll look after her.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Oh?” Gloria asked while delivering Lawrence’s drink and plopping down with one of her own.

  “Yeah. She met a guy.”

  “She’s met guys before.”

  “Not like this. She’s like we were in college. You should see her and Randy. Always in each other’s space. Not holding hands, but always close.”

  “So, who is this Randy?”

  “
You’re not going to believe it. A cowboy.”

  “Is this the Roth kid? The Roths we buy our beef from?”

  “The very one.”

  “Last time I saw him, he was all knees and elbows. Wild hair, always riding his horse or getting dirty. Half the time in trouble.”

  “That’s Randy. Only, he’s six-five, six-six, now. Ex marine. All lean muscle. Tougher than leather. Works sunup to sundown. And smart. Has his veterinarian licence. Oh, and he taught Harriet how to ride a horse.”

  “Really?”

  “Yup,” Lawrence laughed. “Jeans, plaid shirt, boots, hat, the whole shebang.”

  “No! Our daughter was always so proper. She would never get around ‘those filthy animals’, as she would say. I can’t imagine her on a horse, liking the country.”

  “And a western saddle. Not English. Nothing ladylike.”

  “No way. Does she still need to always be in charge?”

  “That’s the funny thing. Those two have been pretty close the last couple or three months. She’s in charge, but I think Randy lets her. She doesn’t bother him. It’s like he is slowly training her. Leading her. I don’t know anything about horses, but it seems to me that he’s taming a wild mare.”

  “So, he’s crazy about our Harriet?”

  “From what I can see, head over heels.”

  “And he puts up with her hard-headedness?”

  “Actually, I think he likes it. Not in a wimpy way, but a challenge.”

  “Well, finally. I was beginning to think we were the end of the Gregor line.”

  “Now, don’t get ahead of yourself. You aren’t a grandma yet. Let’s see how everything plays out.”

  “I know. But a mother can hope.”

  “Well, hope away. Now, tell me all about what you’ve been doing.”

  “Well, you saw the crops. Our Agriculture science team has done a great job. And boy was it needed. With all of the people coming in from Novius and Corrinar, we’re packed to the ceiling. Same with Latinia. Shelley says, between the two of us, we’ve taken in almost three million new settlers.”