Battle Earth V

Chapter 2

Taylor stood to attention before the General’s desk. White ignored him and continued to read through information on a datapad. The door opened once again, and another soldier stepped into the room. Taylor turned slightly and saw it was Captain Ames. He held a blood soaked cloth to his nose that was still gushing. The blood was smeared over his cheeks, and it had already dried to a flat brown over the white straps of his MPs webbing. General White looked up at the injured man and turned sternly to Taylor.

“This is Captain Ames, a military police officer who you struck whilst he was carrying out his orders. I know you have no love of MPs, Major, but when you undermine them, you undermine me.”

Taylor butted in, despite it being completely unacceptable for him to do so.

“On what orders were they arresting honest and reliable soldiers? Last I looked, we protected our own, simper fi, Sir!”

White’s face began to redden with rage, but he quickly calmed himself before he responded.

“Major, we have a lot to learn about their race. We must do everything in our power to better prepare ourselves for the next potential war. I am sorry for the way this was handled, which was certainly clumsy and ill conceived, but that does not change the fact it was necessary.”

“They are more than happy to help in any way, so why on Earth arrest them?”

“I find your trust in these aliens curious, Major, when you’ve probably been single-handedly responsible for more of their deaths than any other human being.”

Taylor tried to butt in, but White didn’t let him.

“They are aliens, aliens! They may indeed have defected, but I’d like to know for certain. And if they truly are on our side, then they can fill in many blanks.”

Taylor shook his head.

“I agree they can do that, but sending this idiot to imprison them was a dumbass move. We’re only lucky Jafar and Tsengal saw reason. They had every right to tear Ames and his MPs apart.”

Ames gasped and tried to speak up, but White interrupted.

“Captain, you’ve caused enough trouble today. I have no doubt your CO will have much to say about it. You can tell him from me that he’ll suffer if he pursues this.”

Ames begrudgingly nodded in agreement.

“Now get out and get that looked at!”

Taylor smiled at the MP being sent packing with his tail between his legs. The door slammed behind him, and Mitch looked back to see White with his head in his hands.

“Jesus, Mitch, can you never stay out of trouble?” he whispered.

Taylor didn’t respond. He knew the General was as in as much a difficult spot as himself.

“I put out an order for the two aliens to be brought in for questioning. I did not ask for them to be arrested, nor treated as the enemy. If you honestly believe they are on our side and willing to bet your life on it, which you clearly are, then I believe you’re right.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Now, these creatures are not human, and therefore are not necessarily bound by our law, unless we choose to treat them as enemy combatants. For now, they will remain in holding for their own protection and to assist us in our research. As a result, you may visit them anytime you like. You, as their acting CO may be present during any and all questioning that takes places, and I suggest you are.”

“It just seems wrong, Sir. These two have proven themselves to us more than a few times already. They are as much marines as you and I. They deserve better.”

“I never said it was fair, Mitch. We need information. We cannot fret about upsetting a few individuals as a result of that. You above all should understand that.”

Taylor nodded in agreement.

“Got it, Sir.”

“And for God’s sake, stop getting into fights. I can only get you out of so much shit. The only reason you have got away with it all so far is based on your war record. The further we get from your glory days, the less leeway you’ll get.”

“Those MPs are total assholes, Sir. When will the day come when we don’t have to put up with such shit?”

“When you die or retire.”

Taylor smiled as he turned and walked to the door.

“The questioning of your two friends is being undertaken by Major Weller. He has strict orders to inform you before any and all contact.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

He stepped out of the room and looked down to see a few specs of blood on the floor where Ames had rushed off. The thought brought a smile to his face, and he quickly set off to find his two imprisoned friends.

Jones stepped into the officers’ mess and was immediately greeted pleasantly by many that knew of his reputation. He passed through them and exchanged a few greetings, as he made his way to the bar where he hoped to find Chandra. She was sat alone there, exactly as he had expected. She was savouring a whiskey that had clearly been stood for a while. She was never one to drink to excess, but he could tell she was far from at ease.

As he approached, she turned and acknowledged him but said nothing. He took a seat and asked for a drink. He looked once more and could see she was not ready to start a conversation.

“You don’t exactly seem ecstatic to be home. Isn’t this what we’ve been fighting for all this time?”

She took a small sip from her drink before answering him. Her voice was croaky. He didn’t know whether it was as a result of sitting in silence for a few hours, or for shouting for most of the day.

“Everyone is slacking off, as if they can return to the easy lives they had before the war.”

“Haven’t we all earned that?”

“In theory, yes. But the war should have taught us a valuable lesson. That we weren’t ready.”

“How could we be?”

“You prepare for the next war, not the previous one.”

“But we could never have had an idea of what was to come.”

“True, but now we do.”

Jones sighed. “I am not sure whether you want war or peace.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’d never want war, but that should not be a reason not to be ready for it.”

“Do you know something I don’t?”

She turned and smiled with a smug but friendly expression.

“Many things.”

Her face turned serious once again.

“Commander Phillips tells me that we have intel of enemy positions not far from the Mars colony. He is in talks to get an operation launched to investigate.”

“Mars? Not again?”

“Keep your voice down,” she whispered.

He looked around to see if anyone else had noticed his shock, but they were too busy enjoying their drinks and conversation. She continued.

“Not an attacking force from what we can see. Phillips believes they have been there from the very start. Perhaps some kind of logistical troops.”

“You don’t sound convinced.”

“It was our point of contact. They have maintained a presence throughout, and we still don’t know how they reached our Solar System.”

“What do you mean?”

“Where do they come from, do you think? They cannot have originated in our Solar System, or we’d have crossed paths long ago. It begs the question, how they got here? Their ships are fast, but it would take hundreds or thousands of years to reach a habitable planet, or wherever they came from.”

“And you think whatever they have left here will give us the answers?”

She nodded.

“I know you’re enjoying this new found peace, but it would be foolish and short sighted to forget what dangers still loom over us.”

Jones turned and sat back against the bar. He panned across the room and took in the atmosphere. There was a level of excitement and comfort amongst all there he had not seen before. Surviving the war had given them all a new perspective on their lives. And yet, here he was, having his hopes and dreams shot down by the Colonel.

“You’re going to volunteer for this investigative mission, aren’t you?” he asked.

She didn’t answer, but he knew what it meant.

“This why you’re pushing the troops so hard?”

“I’m keeping them in shape and ready to fight because that is what is needed of them. If we go on this mission, it should come as no surprise.”

“Can’t we let someone else do the dirty work for once? Seems no matter where we are, we always get the shit.”

“Plenty of soldiers had it hard in the war, just as hard as we did.”

“I doubt that,” he muttered.

She said nothing, and they both knew the world had suffered during the war, but it was hard to think of anything worse than their own experiences.

“After all that they did to you, don’t you want to take it to them?” she asked.

Jones twitched at the reminder of his experiences but peered into her eyes in surprise.

“Where does this bitterness come from?”

She didn’t respond, as they both knew no good could come of it.

“We’re going to Mars, the only question is when? Few will volunteer for it, so I can guarantee we’ll be involved.”

Jones stared at her for a moment. He wondered what she even wanted in life anymore. She seemed to live to fight.

Is this what we have become? He asked himself.

Taylor stepped into the holding cells where his two friends were being kept. Despite the General’s speech about them assisting the allies in questioning, it still looked as much as a prison as it always had. Every time he saw the bars of a cell, or the guards around them, it left a foul taste in his mouth. He forever linked his incarceration with the far more horrific and mortifying ordeal Jones had endured. He could tell that most of the guards knew of his reputation and were watching him with both a careful and untrustworthy eye.

Good, let them fear me.

He was led to the cell at the end of the corridor, but there were no bars, they had been covered over with a one-way thick glass. He could see the two of them talking to each other, but the sound was completely deadened by the walls of the cell. Then the silence was broken by footsteps approaching; the walk of a confident and arrogant man. He already knew it would be their interrogator.

“Major Taylor, I presume?”

Mitch turned to see that the man was clearly well aware of who he was, but didn’t want to admit it and risk stroking Taylor’s ego. Mitch nodded. He saw no need to open his mouth just yet.

“I am Major Weller, Corps of Offworld Intelligence and Research.”

“That’s a mouthful,” Taylor said quietly.

Weller smiled and tapped Taylor on the shoulder in a gesture of friendship.

“So you’re not with this lot?” Taylor gestured towards the MPs.

“No, formally Naval Intelligence.”

“Then we may just get along swell.”

Taylor’s teeth were gritted, and he had not let his guard down, but he already felt more comfortable.

“You are to be present for all contact I make with these two Krycenaeans, is that correct?”

“Yep, and they are members of 2 ^nd Inter-Allied and should be treated as such. Think of them as marines, and we’ll all be just fine.”

Weller looked into the cell and carefully studied the two of them. It was clear he had never seen one of the aliens alive before. Mitch could see he was a little unnerved by being so close to them and was unable to hide it.

“Have you really never had contact with a live one?”

“No, there’s talk of a few prisoners around the world.”

“Wounded? Were there really so few left behind?”

Weller nodded.

“They took everything they could with them. Most who were left fought to the bitter end. There have been plenty of reports of wounded creatures taking their own lives. Quite honestly, we have little information to go on.”

“So this must a big deal? Why did you get chosen?”

Weller glanced over to Taylor and had a dismissive look.

“Yeah, right, classified information.”

“Let’s just say they wanted someone with combat experience, as well as the other tools of my trade.”

Taylor lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

“Not just a desk jockey, then?”

“Come on, let’s get this started. I’m more than happy for you to be in the room, but please do not interfere with my investigation.”

The two of them stepped through into the room, and the soundproofed door sealed behind them. Taylor looked back to see as he expected. He couldn’t see out beyond the walls of the cell. He knew the guards on the outside were watching in, but it pleased him to know that they couldn’t hear what went on. Taylor’s beach attire was incongruous in the sterile and serious cell, but both were glad to see him.

“I am Major Weller. I am here to try and answer the many questions we have about your… well, race.”

They nodded in agreement. Both were sitting on the bench that ran the length of the wall. They were too tall to comfortably sit on the chairs nestled around the table in the centre of the room.

“Right, well we should get started.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Taylor said. “Any information you can give could help, and once this is all over, you’ll return to our unit.”

“Worried? Why would we be?” asked Jafar.

Taylor crooked his head in surprise.

“Incarceration is never pleasant,” he replied.

“There are many unpleasant things in life. Being locked in a room and asked questions is not one of them,” replied the alien.

At every turn the Major got more an insight into how brutal an existence they had lived among their people.

“We have these things called human rights. Whilst you are not yet covered by such core principles, I hope you soon will be. They will protect you from any harm while you make no offence,” Weller stated.

Taylor turned in surprise.

A moral man, already looking to protect them. Not what I expected at all. I like this officer, thought Taylor. He quickly realised that Weller could be a valuable asset to him in the future.

“Now, the first thing we’d all like to know is where you come from? Where is your homeworld?”

Taylor’s ear pricked up at the word ‘we’, and he looked around to see tiny cameras in every corner of the room. It made him a little uncomfortable to know they could be watched by any number of people. He calmed his nerves and quickly thought he was foolish to think they would be alone. Their investigation would likely answer more questions about the enemy than they got answered during the entire war.

“Outside of our ruling classes, few of our people know much beyond the roles given to them, and explaining much of it in your language will be…challenging,” Tsengal answered.

“Please try,” replied Weller.

Jafar continued on from his associate.

“As protectors to Lord Demiran, we have seen and learned more than most. Do you have a star map?”

Weller tapped a few buttons, and the tabletop lit up. Within twenty seconds, the Major had a map before them. Jafar slowly stood up, and Weller looked up in amazement at the towering figure standing over him. Taylor could see a hint of fear at the realisation that the alien could crush and kill him in seconds. Mitch’s trust of the two made him smile at Weller’s discomfort.

The alien studied the map for a minute, carefully scanning and zooming throughout the display. He appeared to show little recognition or understanding at what he was looking at, but it was difficult to read some of his emotions. Sometimes the two of them appeared utterly deadpan. They waited with baited breath. It was one of life’s great questions.

“All the years humanity has asked is their alien life out there, and if so, where? We might just be the first to hear the real answer to the latter,” whispered Weller.

Taylor looked back to Jafar with a new sense of interest. The alien finally looked up.

“I have never seen your maps before, but comparing them to what I have seen, I would say our homeworld is here. In the system you call… Tau Ceti.”

Weller turned to Mitch in surprise. His eyes were wide. It obviously meant something to him. To Taylor it might as well have been a made up name, for he had little care for anything offworld.

“We have long speculated that life could exist there. Although the living conditions must be unbelievably harsh.”

He said it as he turned to the two aliens, looking at their rock hard faces and strong stature.

“I think that much is true,” replied Taylor.

“From memory, it is around twelve light years away. Even with the best technology we have seen yet, it would take them generations to reach us.”

“Then maybe we haven’t seen it all yet.”

“That much is true. I just wonder if any of us truly want to see any more of them.”

Tau Ceti, thought Taylor. I’m sure that will not be the last time I hear that name.

The questioning continued for several hours as Weller tried to delve into what knowledge they had of their homeworld and its surrounding colonies. It became quite clear to them both that the aliens knew surprisingly little about their own society. What little snippets of information had been gathered mostly as an aside to being the protection detail to an important Lord.

Taylor began to see how the two of them had so quickly taken a liking to him. He had treated them as he would a human being, something of which they seemed to have never seen in their previous lives.

Jafar and Tsengal painted a grim picture of their homeworld; a bleak rocky terrain with constant bombardments by meteor showers, and extreme conditions of which only the fittest would survive. Other worlds they knew of featured lethal gas atmospheres and temperatures that would kill you within minutes without the appropriate protection.

After this eye-opening discussion, Mitch could begin to understand why being held in that cell meant little to them. It was a life of luxury compared to all that they knew. Finally, as he felt his eyes sagging and his body sore, the other Major turned to him.

“I think this will do for today.”

Taylor was surprised. He expected the interrogation to push for many more hours until all were exhausted.

Why did they send such a decent man for the job? He asked himself.

Mitch had never met any interrogator he liked one bit, but this man seemed different. He appeared far more human than he could have expected. Weller looked back to the two aliens.

“Thank you for your work today. Any and all information you can provide us will be vital in the future defence of us all.”

“Then this can be our home?” asked Jafar.

“Most certainly. Any soldier who fights to defend our society deserves a place within it. You may rest easy for the rest of the day. I have arranged for you to have a few hours outside, but you must stay within two hundred metres of this complex. You will have a security detail with you at all times. I will return tomorrow.”

He quickly stood up and nodded in appreciation to the two of them before making his way to the door. Taylor quickly followed after he had thanked his two friends. He stepped out of the cell to see Weller was waiting for him.

“I thought that went very well, and I look forward to working further with them.”

“This is not what I had expected at all,” replied Taylor.

“I know about your previous history, Major, and I can understand your feelings towards authority figures and the Military Police in general. What was done to you was very wrong, but do not assume for one minute that I am part of that crowd.”

Taylor smiled, and they both turned and left the cells.

“Would you join me for a drink this evening?” asked Mitch.

“It would be a great honour.”

A warm shower was a welcome end to the day’s work. He stepped out and stood in front of the mirror. His wounds were all but gone from his body. He was still for a moment as he enjoyed the sensation of being both clean and unhurt. After a year in a state of pain and squalor, he had found a new appreciation for a peaceful life. He stepped out to his bedroom, reaching for his clothes when he realised someone else was in the room. Mitch’s heart rate shot up. He knew a weapon was not to hand.

“A chance of a day of peace, and you’re still working.”

He turned to see Eli sat in the corner of the room. She looked far from amused, yet still glad to see him.

“Leave no man behind,” he replied.

She shook her head in disapproval.

“How many times do we have to go through this? They are not humans, and they sure aren’t marines. They are not your responsibility. Only a few months ago, they were probably killing our allies.”

“After all they have done for us, they are my responsibility. We have been at war with many nations in the past, and yet we stood beside them in the last war. Anyway, I will have no more discussion about it. Jafar and Tsengal are members of our unit. We each rely on one another. If you cannot, I suggest you request a transfer.”

Eli sighed in disgust and leapt up from the chair. She charged across the room and ripped the door open, leaving in a furious rage. He shook his head in response. Her overly dramatic response didn’t impress him one bit.

“And to think I looked forward to this shit,” he muttered.

He turned his mind back to the day’s events and remembered he had agreed to meet Major Weller shortly. Mitch walked barefoot across the smooth floor, enjoying the relaxing sensation that was easing his mood. He tapped the button on his wardrobe, and the doors slid apart. Inside was a line of uniforms that were immaculately clean and had been untouched in a long time.

Mitch reached in for his dress uniform and realized quite how long it had been since he had last seen it, let alone worn it. A few minutes later, he was strutting across the base and looking a far cry from his bedraggled appearance from earlier in the day. Meeting Weller had given him a glimmer of hope for his future on the base. Despite being loved by so many of the serving marines, he was ever more hated by so many of his superiors and others in the service.

As he stepped into the mess, he could see Weller had identified him immediately and turned to the barman to order him a beer. He stepped up to the bar and thanked his new acquaintance.

“You sure know how to win friends,” said Mitch.

“I didn’t think I needed to.”

Taylor threw back his beer and took a long relaxed sigh as he slumped down against the bar.

“Just when you thought it was all over, eh?” asked Weller.

“I never thought for a minute that this was over,” he whispered. “We’ve humiliated an enemy which consider themselves infinitely superior to ourselves. Do you think for a minute that they would let it slide? They are down but not out.”

“I have to say, you’re not as I expected at all, Taylor. Your reputation made you appear as a glory seeker.”

“Don’t hold back now,” he replied with a smirk.

Weller held out his arm in friendship.

“The name’s Bryan.”

Taylor accepted his gesture.

“Mitch, and for the record, you’re not the pencil pushing stuck up bastard I would have expected, either. You are no stranger to this war, where were you?”

“New York, from the very beginning. I was liaising with the National Guard there when the invasion of the east coast began. I lost communication with my CO and jumped on the first truck I could find to take me to the front. We thought we could hold them there and then. We were wrong.”

“You saw all of that, and yet you treat Jafar and Tsengal with such respect?”

“You do, don’t you?”

“I have my reasons. You have none.”

Weller raised his eyebrows and turned back to his drink, thinking about Taylor’s observance. Bryan finally looked back to Mitch who was awaiting some answer.

“I guess it’s my job to give these things a little more consideration. The automatic response of a human being now is to want to kill the aliens upon first sight, but isn’t that what human beings have done to each other for thousands of years? We need to be a little more progressive. Somehow, you have managed to find allies among them. If two defected, maybe more could follow?”

Taylor shook his head. Bryan could tell that he was not at all convinced.

“No? So what made those two so special?”

He remained silent for a moment. The moment they became his allies was still something he had not fully explained or shared with anyone, but he knew the time would come when he would have to do so.

“When we captured Lord Demiran on L2, those two lay down their weapons and surrendered to us. During the chaos of the attack on the station, they managed to escape, just as all soldiers have a duty to attempt.”

Weller leaned in closer to hear Taylor’s low voice.

“Go on.”

“During their re-capture, an officer subordinate to me tried to execute them, despite not presenting any threat. Having saved their lives, that same officer attempted to take mine, and very nearly did. Those aliens saved my life. They did the right thing, but I can never go on the record with such information. We saved one another’s lives, and in doing so have eternally earned each other’s trust.”

Weller took in a deep breath and sat up straight on his stool.

“Most interesting,” he replied. “And you have told this to no one else?”

“Not the whole truth, no.”

“And now those around you doubt your belief in our alien friends, and you cannot explain to them why you place your trust?”

Taylor nodded in agreement. He was impressed that the Major was so quick to understand the situation.

“You were right to remain silent. There would be a violent backlash if it became known that they had killed one of our officers, no matter how justified.”

Taylor was still unsure of Weller’s endgame, but he had a good feeling about the man. He surprised himself that he had come out so quickly with that story having never told anyone.

“You were quick to get that out of me, and I commend you. I only hope you use such information wisely.”

“Those two could be vital in the coming years. We need all the help we can get if there is any chance of gaining more foreign support, or even creating dissent among their ranks. It could make all the difference.”

Weller threw back the last of his beer and laid the bottle down on the bar.

“This is it for me. I have further notes to make, and we both need our rest. I will see you at 0900 hours at the cells.”

Taylor nodded in agreement and lifted his bottle in a sign of friendship. As the Major walked away, Mitch thought hard about their newfound friendship. He’d never come to trust anyone so quickly before, and that still made him suspicious, despite not having any reason to doubt Weller.

He returned to his quarters to rest out for the night. The room was silent, and it was clear Parker had not been back. As much as he’d have liked her there when he returned, he hated the fact she was being so unreasonable.

It had been so much easier during the war, he thought.

Climbing into bed alone was lonely, but it was just the tranquillity he needed to rest and recuperate. Mitch was finally feeling that his body was recovered from the brutal year it had endured.

It was 0901 and the two officers were sat at the table, as they had been the day before. Only this time, Taylor’s shorts and sandals were gone and replaced with more suitable attire. Weller read out his name, rank and others present for the records before beginning.

“Your former Lord Demiran and his kind. How did they get to their position of power?”

The two aliens looked confused, and Jafar finally spoke.

“What do you mean?”

“How did Demiran become a Lord?”

“He was born.”

“Are all Krycenaeans status dictated by birth?”

“Yes, but you must still prove yourself in that class or risk being outcast.”

“So you were both destined to be guards to a great Lord from birth?”

“They nodded.”

“And what dictated that?”

“Our people come from one island on one planet. We are more intelligent than most, faster, stronger and more agile. We have guarded the Council of Lords for thousands of years.”

Taylor sat in shock. He had never thought to ask any of what Weller was doing, but it was explaining a lot of what he had been curious to know.

“I would like to know more about your society, but we will come back to it. The Krycenaeans seemed desperate to conquer Earth at any cost. Under the command of Karadag, what was the purpose of the invasion?”

“The Great Book tells of a world so heavenly that any Krycenaean would die to live on it. Our people have searched for it for hundreds of years since our technology allowed us to do so.”

“And you believe it to be Earth?”

“I believe so. It is the most amazing place we have ever seen. Clean sweeping oceans, free from radiation and meteor showers; temperatures that you can live in without fear of death, and no predators hunting you. This is a paradise.”

Tsengal continued.

“Our Lords have gone from one system to another, destroying all in their path in an attempt to find such a place. Other races have fallen under the onslaught you faced.”

The two men’s faces went blank. It was so much information to take in; they could barely believe their ears. The room went silent for half a minute as they tried to picture what they were being told.

“My God,” Taylor finally spoke. “They’re systematically wiping out civilisations to find their perfect world.”

Weller leaned in towards Mitch and whispered.

“We had suspected something of the sort for some time, but knowledge of other races is something we had no idea of.”

He looked back to the Jafar.

“These other races you have encountered, have they been utterly destroyed?”

“That was before our existence.”

“Damn shame.”

Taylor butted in.

“The technology we have seen so far would suggest it could take hundreds or thousands of years for your ships to reach Earth, is that so?”

Weller initially turned to cut Mitch off, but he let the question stand, as he was inevitably about to reach the same one.

“For the first ships, the pioneers, yes. They left our worlds knowing that their future generations would reach their destinations. We now travel on the gateways they produced.”

“Gateways? What do you mean?” asked Taylor.

“I think he means some kind of gateway through space, folding space, black holes…”

“You believe it possible?”

“Technically, yes.”

“We cannot tell you how these work, only that a gateway was established a little over a year ago in your time, enabling the fleet we travelled with to reach Earth.”

“This space gateway, it is still there now?”

“I do not see any reason why not.”

“And you can travel through these instantly?”

“Yes, but they are built many thousands of kilometres from planets, for reasons we have never been told.”

Taylor could not believe what he was hearing, but he knew it meant that the threat of a second invasion hung over them.

“How long would it take for a fleet to go from your homeworld to reach Earth?” he asked with urgency.

“A few days.”

“My, God,” he replied. “This changes everything.”

Taylor stood up and looked to the nearest camera.

“You hear that? An enemy fleet could come through that gateway at any moment? We must destroy it!”

“Major Taylor!” Weller shouted. “You must calm yourself!”

“Calm? We were not prepared for the last war. Should we make the same mistake again, it could cost us our entire civilisation!”

“And nobody is going to let that happen. We will act upon this, and believe me, the appropriate powers will already be preparing a response, but we must not go into the next war blind.”

Taylor took a deep breath and calmed himself as he sat down once more.

“This gateway threatens us all.”

He looked to his two alien comrades.

“Tell us everything you know about it.”