Doom 3™: Worlds on Fire

16

THE NEW PENTAGON VICINITY OF LARAMIE, WYOMING—3287 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE

THE GUARD UNDID THE CUFFS HOLDING JOHNKane’s wrists together. Kane squinted as bright shafts of manufactured sunlight streamed down the hallway from massive phony windows.

His cell had only one small square backlit by a single bright bulb. But this part of the New Pentagon looked as though it was bathed in tropical sunlight, instead of buried deep below the rocky ground.

After the destruction of the old Pentagon in 2078, this new building was designed, as everyone knew, with some key advantages. First, it was located somewhere in Wyoming. The government confirmed that it had been built near Laramie, although layers of secrecy apparently covered all the workers and contractors who built it.

But no matter if any enemy located it. The New Pentagon was buried so deep, under so much mountainous rock, that it would be impervious to any attack. Or so the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense believed.

When the cuffs were off, a marine captain walked up to Kane. “My name is Captain Ferrita. I will be representing you in the proceedings.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Kane had been stripped of all rank. He knew he was no longer a lieutenant, but was he even a private? Was he still even in the marines?

He also now knew the punishment for what he had done. When the country was on a permanent war footing, any disobedience of any order in combat could be penalized by death. It was what Kane expected. And after months sitting in the cell below, he might even be ready for that. Otherwise—in this place—madness loomed.

“You are to say nothing unless directly addressed. Charges will be read. The court-martial counsel will consult with the trial board. They may wish to speak with me if there is a possibility of a lesser charge.”

“Lesser charge?”

“Yes. A charge less than treason. A situation where you might not face execution.”

“How…hopeful?”

“Look, Kane. I don’t know whether you want to live or not. In fact, to be honest, I don’t even care. You are quite clearly guilty. But on the off chance—”

The captain looked Kane in the eyes, and Kane could see that though the man was nearly a foot shorter, there was some steel there. This military lawyer had seen some things. He didn’t blink easily…

“—that youdo want to live, do exactly what I say. Understand?”

“Perfectly.”

“Then let’s go in.”

They took their seats at a polished metal desk that reflected the bright overhead lights. Kane could see the brass sitting in the front, on a raised dais. Two men, one woman, all marines. Turning right, Kane could also see the prosecutor, a thin, reedy-looking marine lawyer who looked like he wouldn’t know which end of a gun to point.

The woman—her nameplate said Colonel Thompson—spoke first. “Captain Ferrita, has your client been fully briefed on the charges and possible outcomes he faces?”

Ferrita stood up. “Yes, Colonel. And we hope to make a case today that the circumstances that Lieutenant Kane faced—”

A general at the end, General Schine, jumped in. “FormerLieutenant Kane, Captain. Your client has, under military law, been stripped of his rank.”

“Yes, sir. Sorry. Now if I—”

Kane watched General Schine cover his mic, then lean over to the man in the middle. And there was something familiar about him. Had Kane seen him in some theater or other? General Hadfield, his nameplate said.

Hadfield whispered to first one then another member of the tribunal. Then he spoke. “Captain Ferrita, we appreciate that you want to do what you can for your client. And we also understand that you think you can make a case of extreme mitigating circumstances regarding former Lieutenant Kane’s disobedience of a direct order—”

“Well, of course, but—”

But Hadfield didn’t really want an answer from Ferrita. Instead, Kane saw the general give a nod to the prosecution desk, and the rail-thin prosecutor walked up to the table in the front.

Hadfield held up a hand. “Hold on a minute, Captain.”

Again some more off-the-record words. Kane leaned close to Ferrita. “I think the term for this is railroad.” Ferrita looked back at him with a look that said,Right, and there’s nothing the hell we can do about it.

Ferrita seemed about to add something, and Kane thought:Is Ferrita in on whatever is going on here too? Is this little stage play all for my benefit and the record?

The prosecutor nodded and left the tribunal table.

“There is no need at all for us to review the events of last April, 2144. The electronic record is quite complete; the satellite vids show it all. And I am sure, Captain, you have no wish to waste the tribunal’s time, especially with our nation facing threats from so many different sectors.”

When in doubt, wave the flag and ditch rights. A pretty old story, Kane thought.

“No, sir. But my client still would like to explain—”

“Mr. Kane, we have—in consultation with the prosecution—discussed an arrangement that would both appease military justice in these difficult days and resolve this case quickly. That is, if you and your lawyer agree to the terms.”

Ferrita leaned close. “Think you best stand, since he’s talking to you.”

Kane stood up. Months sitting in a cell had left Kane stiff. But he still knew he was the only one in the room who had faced anything approaching battle conditions for years. He could feel it. And he knew they could.

“Yes, sir. An arrangement?”

The woman, Colonel Thompson, smiled. “Adeal. That will allow us to close this matter and all get on with more important work. It will have the advantage, quite possibly, of saving your life.”

“Not,” General Schine, said, “that we all agree it should be saved.”

“A deal?” Kane repeated.

“Yes. And for the particulars, you can follow the prosecution attorney, Colonel Sack, to the conference room. When he has your decision, we will reconvene.”

The three stood up. The prosecutor stood to one side, looking almost afraid as he waited for Kane.

Kane turned to Ferrita, eyes locked on him. “Did you know about this ‘deal’?”

The captain rubbed his chin, then looked away. “I heard some rumblings that—”

“Rumblings?” Kane shook his head. “Okay then…counselor. Let’s go see what kind of deal the U.S. Marine Corps has cooked up for me.”

He turned and walked toward the prosecutor, already hurrying to the conference room.

Colonel Sack, looking nervous, stood at the end of the room and gestured to two chairs.I’m not going to hurt you, Kane thought.Though that would certainly be fun.

Kane took a chair and sat down, followed by Ferrita.

He turned to his lawyer, “I would have liked some warning…you know, a heads-up?”

“I wasn’t sure…this would happen.” Sack cleared his throat. “As you know, Mr. Kane, your offense carries—in the time of war—the potential of the death penalty.”

“Yeah—never a good idea to save other marines. I’ll try to remember that.”

“Um, but that’s just it. The Corps recognizes that what you did, you did to save fellow marines.”

“Nice of them to see that.”

“Easy, Kane,” Ferrita said.

“And a trial dragging up testimony over such an incident, especially with the other geopolitical realities tossed in—”

“Those realities. You gotta hate them…”

“Bottom line: the Corps would like to avoid a trial. It has no interest in exacting the full penalty from you. Instead, it has an offer to make.”

“We’re listening,” Ferrita said.

“Here it is. Kane will be restored to active duty effective within the next forty-eight hours. He will be a private…in the space marines.”

Kane shook his head. “What? The space marines?” Everyone in the real armed services knew that they were having trouble getting people to sign on to this new subset of the marines. “Might as well agree to be a rent-a-cop.”

“The space marines,” Sack continued, “serve an important role in the expanding intersolar system security and goals of the United States. You will receive pay commensurate with your new rank, and even be eligible for retirement.”

“How long a commitment?” Ferrita asked.

The question seemed to make the prosecutor squirm. “Ten years, nonnegotiable.”

Space marines,Kane thought. There could only be a few possibilities. Doing transport security, or escorts for planetary runs, maybe a post to the new Europa project, or the biggie—the project everyone knew about, butdidn’t know anything about. Mars.

“Let me guess, I won’t be staying on Earth?”

“They want to send you to Mars City. A minimum of two years on Mars. After that, maybe other postings. That, with your loss of rank, is the deal.”

Kane looked at Ferrita. “Any negotiating moves to pull here, counselor?”

But the prosecutor responded fast. “Mr. Kane, there are no other arrangements that can be made. You either accept this or face the tribunal, which could—as you have been told—result in a death sentence.”

Kane smiled at the man. “Thanks for the clarification.” He stood up. “And when would I leave for Mars?”

“Oh, I thought that was clear. As soon as possible. Forty-eight hours, most likely. With the next major transport. Should be enough time to get your affairs on Earth—whatever they are—in order. So—shall I inform the tribunal that terms have been agreed to?”

“My affairs. Yeah, plenty of time to get them…in order.” Kane laughed, then stuck out his hand to the prosecutor. “You got a deal.”

The prosecutor looked warily at the outstretched hand but took it anyway. Then Kane closed. Not so bad that he’d render Sack’s hand useless, but enough so he felt a good strong jolt of pain. Then he released it.

Ferrita stood up. “Private, I’ll walk you back to your cell block. They’ll get your personal property ready.” He turned to Sack. “You will get all the necessary approvals into the pipeline?”

A still-wincing Sack took out a PDA and projected a touch screen that floated a few feet in front of him. He hit some points on the floating screen. “There. Done. Just got to make sure you are at the Denver transport dock at least two hours before departure. You will be ferried up to the main UAC transport out of California. And that”—he took a breath—“is it.”

Ferrita put a hand on Kane’s shoulder. “Let’s go—you’ve some things to do to get ready…”

And just like that, Kane was out of his cell, and back in the marines.

Though not really the marines, he knew. No way you could mix up the space marines with the real deal. As much as they tried to paint it as an elite corps, nobody wanted long tours of guard duty somewhereout there, whether it was one of the space stations, the moon, Mars, or any of the newer outposts being set up by the UAC. Better than a firing squad, though. Not that they would use such a dramatic form of execution in the twenty-second century. An electric charge to the brain precisely applied would more likely have been the method. Rest in peace.

Ferrita handed him an envelope.

“Here’s everything you will need. Embarkation instructions, your CO at the station, a guide to life in zero gravity. Normally they would provide some training, but—”

“They just can’t wait to get rid of me?”

They had reached the elevator that would take them from the depths of this subterranean fortress back to the surface.

Captain Ferrita looked right and left. “Look, Kane. This may be a new chance for you.”

“You don’t sound so sure.”

“I mean, it’s better than the alternative. But I think—well—there are rumors all around this place. About Mars. About what’s going on there.”

“They’re building a city, right? A home for the future. Experimental labs, some secret things, right?” Kane looked at the captain, trying to figure out how much he really knew.

“Sure, that’s what the vids show. That’s what the UAC promotes. Some people are already living there, working and living on Mars. The new frontier and all that. But I got to tell you”—another glance left and right, making sure they were alone—“that isn’t the whole story.”

“And you think it has something to do with my going up?”

Ferrita nodded. “I don’tknow anything. All I know is what I hear, just the rumors. What people have whispered about. The UAC’s experiments, some gone wrong. Some people missing. People get scared. Word filters back. It’s getting real tense up there, Kane. And I think, maybe…that’s why you’re going up there.”

“Let’s send the marine traitor from Terekstan to Mars?”

“Something like that. They’re beefing up their marine muscle on the planet. The UAC is worried about something. They pay the freight, the marines supply the bodies. Obviously they thought someone like you would be useful on the planet.”

“Useful? Interesting word. Useful for what? Against what?”

The elevator door opened—an empty chamber.

“Wish the hell I knew, Kane. But if I was you, I’d be prepared for anything.” Ferrita took a breath.

Least he got that off his chest,Kane thought. A vague warning of something waiting on Mars. And in a funny way, it somehow made Kane feel a little bit better about this unwanted posting.

Suddenly, he thought, things indeed sounded…interesting.