by David Ryker
“She searched the cosmos for a race capable — worthy of the possession of this knowledge. One that could be trusted not to use it for evil. But alas, she could not find one. So, instead—”
“ — she created one,” I cut in.
Glaavus nodded. “Yes. She did. I was one of the first, crafted by the hand of the Mother herself.”
“This is one hell of a history lesson.” Mac put his head in his hands.
“And we haven’t even gotten to the part where we’re supposed to save the universe,” Alice sighed.
“We will,” Glaavus said, “but it was important that you knew everything first — because this has to be your decision. What I am going to ask you to do will not be easy. You must take lives — many of them — and that is something that I do not ask lightly.”
“We’ve killed before,” Mac said darkly.
“I fear you have,” Glaavus replied, “but not like this.”
“Well, fuck,” Alice grumbled. “Let’s get on with it then.”
10
Glaavus tapped a few more things into the screen in front of him and the curved wall at the back of the room began to move, sliding sideways and disappearing into itself.
Behind it, a hangar stood, pristine and white, but far from empty. We all gawked at what was inside, but none of us said anything.
“This is the location,” he said, reaching into the star map and pointing to a spec of empty space, “of the ancients’ home planet, Aerra. You may recognize the similarity to Aelock — it’s because both are in the ancients’ dialect. Though you won’t find this planet listed on any registers. It is listed as uninhabitable on the Federation archives, and only has a coded designation, though I assure you that this is where the Free learned of the properties of Iskcara. They must have discovered its location and searched the planet for remnants of their civilization. Had we known there’d been any, we would have gone there ourselves and destroyed them.”
We all barely registered what Glaavus was saying. We couldn’t take our eyes off the collection of mech and the ship that was sitting in the hangar behind him.
Alice was the first to pull her attention back to the room. “So you want us to go there and do what? Finish what the ancients started?”
“It is imperative that you destroy all traces of the technology and eliminate all those who have any knowledge of its function.”
Everyone turned back to Glaavus now.
“You want us to kill them all?” Even Mac looked shocked. “Just for knowing a thing?”
“It may seem callous, but—”
“Callous is an understatement. You’re talking about uninhibited mass-murder,” Alice said fiercely.
“If it is any consolation,” Glaavus said, his tone grave, “I’m sure they will shoot back.”
I leaned back in my chair and laced my hands across the top of my head. “So we go to Aerra in that fancy ship in there,” I said, nodding towards the hangar, “destroy what’s left of the ancients’ civilization, kill everyone who tries to stop us, blow up the Free armada on the way out, and then be home for dinner. Is that about the sum of it?”
“I don’t believe you’re taking this seriously,” Glaavus sighed.
Alice scoffed. “Oh, we’re taking it seriously. We just can’t quite believe what we’re being asked to do. Because I’m guessing you want us to do this outside of the Federation, too? Put top priority on making sure that we get there first, and dispense with everything before they even get a look in.”
“The problem is not that the Free have the technology, it is that it exists at all. No one should possess such power—”
“Not even you?” She cocked an eyebrow.
“Not even us.”
“Despite being made in the ancients’ image?” She shook her head. “You know, it’s all just a lot to swallow. You tell us that we’ve being lied to our whole lives, that everything we’ve ever stood for is just bullshit, and then you ask us to commit genocide? You know what the Federation will do if they find out we’re even here discussing this?”
Glaavus rose suddenly, his hands slamming the table. “The Federation will do anything they can to locate the Free and take the technology for themselves. If they take possession of it, the universe will know an era of oppression that it has never seen before. There will be no one who stands in their way, and there will be no one who can! We do not pretend to ignore the value of life, but it must go on, and sacrifices must be made. You are already embroiled in this, and if you choose to go back to the Federation and inform them of what you learned here, they will kill you for it. They will not risk this getting out.”
Alice stared at him stoically. “So you’d just let us walk out of here? Just like that — if we chose not to, you know, save the universe.”
Glaavus receded into his chair. “You will never be free now that you are burdened with knowledge. If the Free are allowed to continue with their plan, then they will likely strike at the heart of the Federation. By luring them into a conflict, as their ancestors did, they’ll wage and win a war that will cost the lives of billions and destabilize the entirety of the Federation. All of those planets that rely on the Federation will fall into disarray, ruination. The vultures will come and pick at the bones and this time of relative peace will disappear forever. And inversely, if the Federation are given the information they need to successfully strike a blow to the Free forces, and they recover the technology, then they will root out and exterminate every Free rebel, and billions will die anyway. It is your decision to make. Stand idly by and watch as the universe is ripped apart, or act now and be its saviors.”
Silence reigned for a few seconds and then Alice sighed. “Well, when you put it like that, you’re not giving us much of a choice.”
Glaavus looked at us in turn. “And you all feel the same way?”
We all nodded.
“Good, then we should begin preparations immediately. Rhona, if you would.” He raised his hand to beckon her over, and then got up, turning toward the hangar.
Rhona, who had been standing at the back of the room the entire time, circled the table and headed into the hangar. We all got up and followed her through the doorway.
In a line facing us were four mechs, though they weren’t exactly like the ones we’d lost on Jokka. They were sleeker and less angular, darker in general. They caught the lights overhead and glinted. They clearly weren’t hewn from the same rough steel our others were. Rhona moved to the right first, to the T-Series there. Glaavus loomed behind us, quiet and tall.
Rhona smiled and looked back at us. “While we don’t have an assembly line for mechanized units here, we do have the facilities to create prototypes. When we develop something new, the Federation come to Aelock to inspect them, and then approve the plans for production, if they so wish. However, most of the time, the designs are scaled back prior to being mass produced. When you first arrived here, we looked into who you were, and into the circumstances that brought you here. We had to be sure of your agenda. It’s not the first time that we’ve had Federation operatives attempt to land on Aelock, though you were the first with genuine intentions. Had they not been, we would have dealt with you as we did with them.” It sounded vague and ominous.
“Well, that’s reassuring.” Alice shook her head.
“Once we were satisfied, and we’d pieced together what was happening, we searched more thoroughly, and came across a lot of footage stored on Notia’s internal network, as well as a large amount from the Federation archives — especially on Pilots MacAlister and Sesstis. We’ve chosen what we believe to be appropriate equipment based on your preference.”
Mac laughed and clapped his hands. “I’ll say!”
She looked at Fish first and went toward the mech on the far end. “This is the latest iteration of the Tactical Series. In addition to the advanced cloaking capabilities, this model is also lighter, faster, and quieter than you are used to. Where the Federation have used Zephod steel, this protot
ype is constructed with a mixture of carbide, titanium, carbon fiber, and other various ultra-light alloys. This also aids in detection, as scanners are less likely to pick it up while cloaked. It’s also fitted with our latest onboard software. You’ve also got a more autonomous AI core than the Federation usually provide to their pilots. I believe you’ll find it more than adequate.” She stepped across toward the HAM and beckoned Mac forward. “You too will be at home, I trust, in this. Our latest heavy-artillery-mech is equipped with remotely controlled rockets, all of which can be controlled individually by your AI assistant after the targets have been locked. As well as that, we’ve equipped it with the newest version of our rail-cannon, which charges in just half the time that the old one did. The Federation hasn’t put it into production due to the added cost of each unit. But, as this is a prototype, we don’t have that issue. You’ll also find some other new additions, though your onboard assistant will bring you up to speed on that.”
Mac was grinning and wasted no time in moving forward and scaling the front of the HAM.
She went to the last two, which I had to assume were for Alice and me. They didn’t look like either the F-Series or the A-Series. They more closely resembled Alice’s Alpha, but they weren’t quite as tall. And even though they both looked relatively similar, they were distinct. Alice’s on the right had wider shoulders, thicker legs, and looked to be more lightly armored. Mine on the left was a little more squat, packing a nasty-looking rifle and a pair of plasma revolvers.
Rhona paused and let us take them in before gesturing to Alice’s. “These were two proposed lines that were never put into production. The F-Series has been in service for more than several centuries now, and due to its terrible survival rate, we proposed these, the Delta Series, Ariel and Ground varietals. They would have replaced the F-Series and the A-Series in active service, but the added cost per unit was not something that the Federation was prepared to entertain. So they gather dust here.” She sounded almost wistful. “The aerial version has full flight capabilities, and all of the same ordnance as the A-Series, but its lighter build makes it faster and more maneuverable. It also has a shoulder-mounted minigun, flares, guided missiles, smoke screen, and everything else one might expect from an A-Series replacement.”
Alice nodded, impressed. “She’ll more than do.”
Rhona turned to me now. “And Mr. Maddox, last but not least. The ground variety. Much lighter than the F-Series you’re used to no doubt, you’ll find a much greater range of mobility here. You’ll also be glad to know that the dash-thrusters are able to give you a short burst of sustained flight, though don’t go too wild — their power is limited, though your onboard assistant will be able to walk you through the possibilities. We’ve also equipped your unit with the latest rifle from our development division. It’s a prototype variant of our fully-automatic rifles; not unlike your Samson. Of course, the Federation choose not to use ours due to—”
“The high production cost?” I laughed.
“Quite. Though, you’ll find it quite familiar. Its over-under dual barrel construction will provide you with more than enough punch for what lies ahead. The top barrel gathers and stores heat during primary fire, and when the chamber is sufficiently hot, the second barrel can be engaged, wherein super-heated magnesium rounds can be discharged. This provides a multiplied damage output that will be effective even against the thickest enemy armor. Magnesium burns at more than two thousand degrees, which will likely be adequate.”
I was trying to picture it, and felt a little sorry for whoever the hell got in its way.
“In addition to that,” she went on, “we’ve equipped you with grenades, a small capacity of guided missiles, and, at special request, a pair of plasma pistols — I’m told you’re very familiar with them already.”
“By special request? Who…” I trailed off, smiling. “Greg?”
She nodded. “Yes, we’ve already fitted him into your unit, and he’s awaiting your return. I must say, I’ve never heard a mind speak so highly of a human before. You two share quite a bond.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah, we’ve been through the wringer, that’s for sure.”
“He will be glad to have you back.”
“And I’m glad to have him.”
Alice cleared her throat and I looked over. She was halfway up her rig, the hatch open. She’d been inspecting the cockpit, and now that she was satisfied, she was ready to get going. “If you’re done swooning over your rig, Red, let’s get this show on the road.” She jumped down and came over.
When she did, I realized Glaavus was right next to us.
“So that bird,” Alice said, jerking her thumb at the ship. “That for us?”
Glaavus chuckled softly. “Yes. That is another prototype that never made it to production. It’s an Insurgency Craft, but we came to call it the Raptor. It’s a Fixed-wing, dual engine long ranged ship capable of hyperdrive. It’s equipped with a host of ordnance that was deemed to have—”
“Too high a production cost,” Alice and I said in unison. We were seeing a pattern forming.
“Quite,” Glaavus said. “A wonderful feat of engineering, if nothing else.”
Alice let out a low whistle, looking over. The body of the ship wasn’t unlike that of the Tilt-wing. It was sleek at the front, with a pointed, protruding nose. The body cut back flat under the cockpit and then bulged out toward the midsection. Two small triangular wings cut out from the nose, tipped with small hinged jets. As the body started to narrow at the middle, two larger wings stuck out, tipped with the main thrusters, making four engines in total. The tail section was tapered with fish-tail fins. It looked fast, and mean — but above all else, it looked expensive. I could tell why the Federation hadn’t gone ahead with it considering how many ships they lost on a regular basis.
“I can’t wait to fly it,” Alice said, smirking. “I’ll bring her back in one piece, don’t worry.”
Rhona restrained a smile, looking at Glaavus. He turned to Alice, totally unapologetic. “I’m afraid you won’t be flying it at all — Rhona will be accompanying you. She is an excellent pilot, can pass for human should the situation require it, and we need to have assurances that, one, the mission is completed satisfactorily, and two, that our involvement is kept completely secret.”
“We don’t need her to babysit us,” Alice said, scowling.
“That’s not why she’s going. To be perfectly candid, should you fail, and perish, her part is to destroy your units and erase any trace of our presence on Aerra.”
“Oh,” Alice sighed. “Well, in that case… I’ll just get acquainted with this old girl.” She turned back to her mech and climbed inside, pulling the hatch closed.
Rhona nodded to Glaavus and then took off toward the ship. I guessed we weren’t wasting any time. Before I could turn toward Greg, Glaavus took my arm. “May I speak with you, Mr. Maddox?”
“Sure,” I said, not really certain I had a choice in the matter.
He pulled me off to the side of the room and turned so his back was to the others. “I’d like to thank you for what you’re about to do.”
“Of course.”
“However — I think it best that we clear the air fully before you proceed.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, wary.
“When conversing with Greg,” he said bluntly, “he told me that this is not the first time that you’ll be crossing paths with the infamous Katherine Fox.”
I stiffened, feeling my blood run a little cold.
“You first faced off against her was on Draven, following the fall of the Regent Falmouth. Is that correct?”
He knew it was.
“But that most curiously, despite having the opportunity, and more than just cause to, you did not kill her.” He stood a little straighter, thinking. “And I don’t think that I understand why that is.”
“I…” I cleared my throat. “I didn’t think that killing her would do anything. I thought she was
just some rebel sucked into a war that wasn’t hers, just like I was. I didn’t know who she was at the time.”
“And had you, you would have killed her?”
I swallowed. “I don’t know. I don’t think I had it in me then to kill anyone — at least not as coldly as I would have done with her.”
“But you would now?”
I gritted my teeth. “Do you have a point you’re trying to make?”
“I’m just trying to ascertain whether, if presented with the same dilemma again, you’ll be able to complete the mission.”
“And kill Fox?”
“Among others.”
I knocked my teeth together and sighed. “I don’t like killing anyone, but I’ve done it before, and I’m sure I’ll do it again. To protect my friends — my team — I’ll kill if I need to.”
He nodded slowly, processing it all. “I hope that you see this as a necessary evil. Should you let even one person escape with the knowledge of this technology, then it’s all for naught. I doubt you’ll get more than one opportunity to do this. I need to be certain that I’m sending the right team.”
I scoffed. “Then why don’t you go yourself — send an android strike force and wipe them out?”
Glaavus stared at me for a long time before he spoke. “We are a race of peace. We do all that we can to stem the spread of violence. It was not the way that the Mother made us. It was not how she made me.”
“She didn’t make you all, though, right? Not every android was made by the mother’s hand, or even by your race, right?”
“There are many races capable of creating — or I should say recreating our kind. Not all of them do so with benevolent intentions. Maybe androids, like humans, and other races, know war before they are allowed to know peace.”
It was like talking to a an enigma machine. “But Rhona? She’s killed, right? Advanced reconnaissance? She was a spy? And the AIs on the mech — they’ll help pull a trigger. Greg sure as hell pulled one for me more than once.”
Glaavus chuckled. “Yes, well — I fear Greg is more special than you know. The mind is so unpredictable, and when the assistants are first put into service they respond to their host. They adapt and grow with them. You haven’t been a conventional pilot, and he hasn’t been a conventional mind. He has more willpower than most of his kind — and should the Federation find out about it, they’ll likely have him destroyed.” He looked sad for a moment. “Aelock is too precariously placed to become involved. Our citizens are kept in the dark about our dealings with the Federation. They also are unaware of the ancients, and everything that has passed between us since your arrival. Involving them would shatter all that we had built, and were word to get out that we were involved in any way, acting against the Federation’s wishes… It would mean the end of Aelock and everything we’ve built.”