Ep.#9 - "Resistance" (5 page)

“The sooner you wrap this up and call for extraction, the better,” Nathan said. “Get in, make contact with the resistance, determine if they know of a source of usable propellant, and get out again. Do not engage the Jung other than to defend yourselves. If we do not hear from you within 72 hours, we will consider you missing in action, and we will depart. Is that understood?”

“Depart, as in gone for good, or as in we’ll come back and check on you later?” Loki said. The lack of response to his question served as his answer.

“I included the coordinates for the laser-comm unit,” Cameron told them. “No omni-directional broadcasts, and all comms shall be encrypted using the new cipher developed by Lieutenant Montgomery’s people.”

Nathan looked at Cameron. “Not standard fleet encryption?”

“Jessica thought it best to assume all fleet encryption had been broken, perhaps even long before the invasion. She asked one of Lieutenant Montgomery’s men to develop a replacement cipher.”

“Our cryptology is considerably more advanced than what I’ve seen of standard fleet ciphers,” the lieutenant explained. “I expect it will be nearly impossible for the Jung to break, assuming their computational technologies are not significantly advanced over you own.”

“Very well,” Nathan said. “Lieutenant Commander Kamenetskiy is finishing the validation testing of the rebuilt jump shuttle. As we still have a few hours before departure, I suggest you two get a bite to eat and some rest.” Nathan looked at the faces gathered around the conference table. “Dismissed.” As the attendees stood to exit, Nathan added, “Loki, would you remain for a moment, please?”

Cameron followed the rest of the staff out of the command briefing room, closing the hatch behind her as she exited.

“You sure you’re up for this, Loki?” Nathan asked. “You seem a bit apprehensive.”

“A bit? That’s all?”

“I was being kind,” Nathan said. “You know, you don’t have to do this. We can send one of the major’s men along with him. Garrett said to send the knife along with anyone that came to find him.”

“I know, sir. Lieutenant Commander Nash and I talked about this at length. She believes we will have a better chance if someone that Garrett already knows is there.”

“You do realize how dangerous this mission could be? I’m not just talking about the space jump itself. God knows that’s dangerous enough.”

“I know, sir. Master Chief Montrose has been helping me prepare, teaching me to shoot straight and such. He’s even been teaching me a few Corinari combat moves. Marcus even rigged up a harness and a pulley system to simulate the landing. Can’t say that I’m that good at it yet, but at least I’m not landing on my butt anymore.”

Nathan chuckled. “That’s good to hear. Now go and get something to eat.”

“Yes, sir,” Loki said as he stood. “And thanks for offering me an out.”

“No problem.”

Loki headed for the hatch, but paused and turned back toward the captain. “Sir, did you mean what you said? About leaving us behind after three days? Would you really do that?”

“I’m the captain of the last ship capable of defending Earth, Mister Sheehan,” Nathan said as he looked Loki in the eye. “I did it before, and I’d do it again if necessary. I’d hate doing it—probably even more so than I hated doing it the first time—but I’d do it nonetheless, as I expect you would if you were in my place.”

Loki stared at his captain for a moment, finally nodding his agreement. “I would hope that I would have the strength to, sir.”

“Good luck, Loki,” Nathan said as he stood and extended his hand.

Loki took the captain’s hand, giving it a single shake. “Thank you, sir.” Loki smiled. “I’ll see you in a few days.”

“You’d better.”

CHAPTER TWO

Jessica had been following the river over two hours, yet she had only moved a kilometer closer to the city. The winding path of the river and the forest itself made for slower travel, but it had the advantage of stealth, which was more important. She considered the possibility that making such an effort to stay out of sight might in itself seem suspicious, but after her encounter with the lecherous, old farmer, she figured most people would understand why a young woman traveling on foot would prefer to remain invisible.

The forest itself was surprisingly lush. Green and full, with plenty of undergrowth covering its base, it was unlike wooded areas near her childhood home. When it finally opened up to a small meadow, she felt almost disappointed. The meadow was not terribly large, about one thousand square meters, she guessed. At the inland edge of the meadow stood a large two-story structure. It was too large to be a residence and too small to be a hotel. There was a dirt lot to one side with a long unpaved road that disappeared into the forest on the other side of the building. She studied the building for several minutes. There were no signs of life that she could discern: no vehicles, no clothing hanging on the line to dry, no children’s toys lying on the ground. There weren’t even any curtains on the windows.

The river ahead bent to the left again, undoubtedly snaking back around as it had done time and again during her journey. More than an hour ago, she had wished she had driven the truck a little farther before abandoning it on the side of the road. The last two times the river had made such a turn, she had been able to cut across the forest and shorten her time by at least ten minutes.

Jessica looked at the sun hovering low in the western sky. She figured she only had another hour or two of daylight left. After that, traveling through such dense growth would become more dangerous. She was also tired, having not slept in nearly twenty hours. She really needed a place to hole up for the night, so she could enter the city well rested and alert. If the building at the far end of the meadow was indeed abandoned, it would make an excellent place to get some much needed sleep.

She turned inland and walked parallel to the meadow, staying a few meters back inside the forest to remain hidden. Once she reached the appropriate distance from the structure, she broke out of the forest, approaching the building from one corner to reduce the angle of visibility in case there was someone in there. Her instinct was to go into a crouch, approaching the target in a low profile, but that would put anyone who might be hiding inside on guard. Instead, she walked normally across the field as if she were merely trying to cut across to the other side more directly.

Jessica kept her head angled downward as if watching where she was stepping, but at the same time, she kept glancing upward at the building. She checked every window repeatedly, watching for any movement in a systematic fashion. As she grew closer, she spotted torn remnants of old curtains still hanging on some of the upper floor windows. As she closed in, she could make out more detail. It became obvious that the building had been abandoned for some time. Months, perhaps years, of neglect became obvious with each step.

The ground of the meadow was soft. Jessica was sure that it had rained here recently. The dirt lot on the side of the house, although far more compacted, was also fresh, as it lacked the cracks in the dirt that usually accompanied lengthy exposure to the sun. As she approached the building, something caught her eye… footprints. They were all over the place. There were even some dried up muddy prints on the back deck of the building. Someone had been here, and recently. They were smaller than Jessica’s feet, and her feet were of average size for an adult female. She decided they had to be made by a teenager or a smaller than average adult.

Jessica’s movements became more careful and considered. The situation had changed. She had to strike a balance between caution and remaining true to her cover as a young woman traveling alone. She stepped up onto the back deck, moving across slowly. The old deck boards creaked with each step. If there was someone inside, they knew Jessica was out there for sure now.

Jessica reached for the doorknob, then hesitated, remembering her cover. Although it seemed to go against every instinct, she instead knocked on the door several times with her knuckles. “Hello?” She continued knocking even harder. “Hello?! Is anybody home?”

The force of her knocking opened the door slightly. She looked down at the door jamb, which was splintered away on the inside. The door had been kicked in. The splinters did not appear fresh, with some degree of weathering. At the very least, they were a few months old. “Don’t shoot me!” she hollered as she pushed the door open. “I’m not armed!”

She pushed the door open and stepped cautiously inside. The room was of modest size and appeared to be some sort of an entryway or a storm porch. She moved through into the next room, a large kitchen. It had an industrial feel to it, with multiple oversized, stainless steel sinks; large, two-door refrigeration units; an eight-burner range; and a flat-top griddle. Oddly, the inside appeared better kept than the outside. It wasn’t clean, but it was at least tidy, with nothing left out on the counters. She opened a few of the cupboards, all of which were empty. She found the refrigerator empty as well. She flipped the light switch, but nothing happened.

Jessica moved into the next room, a large empty dining room, big enough for several tables at least. The next room was even larger and emptier, with a large natural rock fireplace at one end. There were several doors as well as a staircase leading up to the second floor. One door had large glass panes through which Jessica could see another storm porch on the front side of the building.

She opened the other doors, finding a small bathroom that was in need of cleaning, a closet, another empty room with an empty bookcase covering one wall, and another set of stairs, this time leading down into a basement. She stood there for several seconds, contemplating which direction to explore first. She pulled out a small flashlight that was no bigger than her thumb. She pointed it down the stairs and squeezed it between her thumb and forefinger. A bright beam of light pierced the darkness below, revealing a basement flooded in about a half meter of water.

Jessica spent the next fifteen minutes searching the upper floor of the house as well as the attic space. The upper floor had thirteen rooms and seven bathrooms. Oddly enough, one of the upstairs bathrooms was relatively clean, enough that Jessica felt more than comfortable using it. There was no running water, but the bathtub in the clean bathroom was full of dirty water, and two large buckets sat on the floor next to it. A little water in the tank of the toilet, and it worked like a charm.

Other than a single mattress that had seen better days and a few ratty old blankets, there was nothing of value left in the old house. The mattress and the blankets had been assembled in the corner room adjacent to the functioning bathroom. The two large windows offered an excellent view of both the road leading in from the forest and the meadow Jessica had crossed to reach the building.

The sun was beginning to set. In another hour, it would be dark. She had no doubt that someone had been living here recently. The questions were how recently and would they be returning anytime soon. She would rig some simple trip wires to make noise if someone came up the stairs. She was a light sleeper, and it would be enough to wake her. With any luck, she would get a good night’s sleep and head out at first light. She could see the lights of Winnipeg coming on in the distance, and if she got an early start, she figured she could be walking the streets of the city by noon the following day.

* * *

“How are you doing?” Loki asked as he stepped up next to Josh’s bed in the Aurora’s medical treatment area.

“Not bad,” Josh answered. He watched the nurse insert the syringe filled with a silver liquid into his IV line.

Loki looked over at the nurse on the opposite side of the bed.

“Remember,” the nurse said as she finished the injection, “if they make you too uncomfortable, let me know, and I can signal some of them to become dormant, have them work in rotating shifts instead of all at once.”

“I’ll remember,” Josh said. He waited for the nurse to turn and walk away before he started rubbing his arm above the IV site. “I can feel the little buggers moving up my arm,” he whispered through gritted teeth.

“I thought you already had nanites inside of you,” Loki said.

“I do. They’re just not getting the job done fast enough.”

“Is that dangerous?” Loki asked. “Injecting additional nanites?”

“No, just damned uncomfortable.”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Now I’ve got four times as many of the buggers inside me as you did.”

“Why are you in such a hurry, Josh?” Loki asked.

Josh looked around the room briefly, checking to make sure no one could overhear their conversation. “Are you kidding? They’re gonna take the Falcon away from us if I don’t get out of here soon.”

“No, they’re not,” Loki insisted.

“The hell they’re not,” Josh disagreed. “They’re training three crews right now.”

“I know. I’ve been helping them.”

“Are you nuts? That ship is the most amazing thing either of us is ever going to fly. You want them to take that away from us?”

“They’re not going to take the Falcon away from us, Josh.”

“Don’t be so sure. You’re forgetting something: as long as we’re the only ones that can fly her, that makes us special. It’s called job security.”

“They’re just training additional crews so we’ll have backups,” Loki explained. “We’re going to war, Josh. We can’t be expected to fly every mission. Besides, those guys don’t even like the Falcon. You should have heard them laughing at the outdated cockpit displays. To them, it’s an antique.”

“An antique with a jump drive,” Josh added.

“They prefer the newer, high-tech fighters that the Takarans gave us,” Loki said.

“That’s because they haven’t flown the Falcon yet. They’ve only been using her sim-bubble. Wait until they feel the rush of jumping in just above the ground and setting off a triple sonic boom when you appear.”

“Yeah, that was
really
exciting,” Loki said, remembering how terrified he was the first time they had done just that.

“I’m telling you, Loki… It’s only a matter of time. We’ll be back on the bridge pushing buttons instead of turnin’ and burnin’.”

“Turnin’ and burnin’?”

“It’s an old Earth expression.”

“I think you’re overlooking something.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“The captain said they were going to be using the Falcon for recon flights at least several times a day, maybe more. You hate recon flights.”

“Yeah, so?”

“So, let them do most of the recon flights. When the shooting starts, those guys are going to want to be in their fighters. In fact, that’s where they’ll have to be, because you and I aren’t trained to fly those ships. We’re trained to fly the Aurora and the Falcon.”

“I can fly anything with an engine,” Josh insisted, “and so can you, for that matter.”

“You and I know that,” Loki said, “and the captain probably knows that as well. But Prechitt isn’t going to turn over one of his fighters to you or me, not as long as he’s got his own pilots to fill the cockpits.”

“You think?”

“I’m sure of it. Well, at least I’m sure he’s not going to let you in one of them. He doesn’t like you.”

“He doesn’t?”

“The point is, Josh, if anything, having other flight teams available to take some of the recon load off our shoulders is only going to make our lives better, not worse.”

Josh looked at him for a moment. “You really think so?”

“I’m sure of it.”

Josh looked thoughtful. “Huh. Maybe you’re right.”

“I know I’m right.”

“I do hate recon flights.”

“Can you imagine doing them every day? Maybe even twice a day?”

Josh shuddered.

“You know, the major was asking if you would be willing to help train the other pilots as well,” Loki told him.

“I thought you said he doesn’t like me.”

“Maybe, but he does know that you’ve got more experience flying the Falcon than anyone else on board.”

“Hell, there’s no one within a thousand light years that knows how to fly that ship as well as me,” Josh bragged as he continued rubbing his arm in frustration.

“Maybe you should tell the nurse you changed your mind. Maybe have her turn some of those nanites off.”

“Nah. I’m going crazy sitting around doing nothing. Doc says I still got a few weeks of physical therapy ahead of me. The sooner these little bastards finish sewing me back up inside, the sooner I can get the hell out of here and back in the cockpit.”

“Suit yourself.”

Josh finally started to ease up on rubbing his arms. “I think most of them have made it up my arm now.” He looked at Loki, noticing his outfit. “Is it time?”

“I’m due in the main hangar bay in fifteen minutes.”

“Damn, Loki,” Josh said. “I sure wish I was going with you.”

“I wish you were going
instead
of me.”

“Yeah. Just be careful. You ain’t exactly Sammy the Soldier.”

“And you are?”

“Hell no. People like you and me belong in the cockpit, not boots on the ground. Just remember that.”

“I will,” Loki said.

After an uncomfortable silence, Josh forced a smile. “Say hello to Garrett for me.”

“Sure thing.”

Josh extended his hand to his friend, something he had never done in the past. “Good luck, Loki.”

“Thanks.”

Josh continued to rub his arm as he watched his best friend walk away and disappear through the hatch.

* * *

Luis stared at the center display screen on the forward edge of the tactical console, studying the Celestia’s flight manual as usual. He leaned on his left elbow, his chin supported on his left hand, and nursed his fourth cup of coffee as he read.

A faint beeping caught his attention, causing him to sit up straight. He looked around his console, his eyes squinting and a puzzled expression on his face. Everything looked normal. Then he realized the beeping wasn’t coming from the tactical console. He looked to his left, then his right, then turned around in his chair to face aft. The beeping was coming from the elevated comm-center at the back of the bridge.

Luis moved to his right, stepping up onto the comm platform and moving in behind the primary comm console. He found the source of the beeping noise. “Oh crap.” Luis ran back down the two steps and aft, sticking his head through the ready room hatch. “Gus! Wake up! Quick!”

“What is it?” Gus asked from the darkened room as Luis ran back to the comm console. He quickly pressed one of the pre-configured buttons to connect to his commanding officer. “Lieutenant Commander Kovacic to the bridge!”