Winds of Vengeance Page 12

“Cameron here.”

  “Lieutenant Cameron, you are ordered to report back to base immediately.”

  “But I’m on leave.”

  “All leaves are canceled, effective immediately.”

  Cameron felt his stomach tense. Something was up…something bad.”

  “Understood…I’m on my way.”

  He flipped off the com. It was time to go. He was angry, and confused. He had a lot to think about. But he was sure of one thing. He was still a Marine…and whatever was going on, his men and women needed him. Now.

  Chapter Twelve

  Proclamation of Freedom Announcement

  My name is Achilles. I am one of those beings produced by the Enhanced Hybrid Genome Project, colloquially known as the “Mules.” For many years we have worked to decipher the science of the Ancients, sharing the results of our labor with all the residents of Earth Two. We have done all we could to ensure the safety of our home world, to aid in the development of industry, of information technologies.

  For all this time, we have accepted discriminatory laws and policies, mandates that have denied us our right to perpetuate our kind, to build the future that we, as citizens of the republic, deserve. We have tried again and again to bring our case before the Assembly, to resolve these issues in compliance with the process and procedures set down by the republic’s official government. Yet every effort we have made has failed.

  We can wait no longer…and thus, we have taken matters into our own hands. From this point on, the Enhanced Hybrids of Earth Two will no longer consider themselves bound by the Human-Non-Human Genetic Engineering Ban of the year three, commonly known as the Prohibition. Further, we declare any laws placing restrictions on us, or any citizens of Earth Two, based upon method of conception, embryo creation, genetic selection or engineering, or combination of DNA to be invalid and unenforceable.

  In accordance with this declaration, we will be creating another class of Enhanced Hybrids, with an initial quickening of one thousand individuals. We are prepared to continue our cooperation with the republic, and to remain in our role as primary researchers of the ancient technologies of the First Imperium. However, make no mistake. We have taken steps to defend ourselves and to guarantee the rights set forth previously. In that regard, I warn all…any attempt to interfere, to prevent us from exercising our basic right to introduce future generations and preserve and grow our population, will result in extreme sanctions.

  The choice is yours, people of Earth Two. Continue to fear us as you have, deny us the most basic rights while greedily accepting the scientific advances we provide you…or accept us as beings with as much right to a future as any others. There are two paths forward. One leads to liberty, to fairness, to prosperity. The other to war and death and destruction. It is my fervent hope, as it is of all of my people, that you choose the former.

  Marine HQ

  Just Outside Victory City

  Earth Two Date 11.25.30

  “General Frasier, I want the entire Corps placed on alert. All leaves are canceled, all Marines are to report to barracks and be prepared for immediate action.” Max Harmon stood in front of the window, behind Connor Frasier’s desk. He was facing away from the Marine commandant, looking out the window over the training grounds beyond.

  “Yes, sir. The Corps is already on alert.” Frasier’s voice was crisp, professional. If he had a personal opinion on recent events, it wasn’t evident in his tone.

  “What do you think, Connor? If I order an assault on the Cutter Compound, can your people take it?”

  Frasier was standing on the other side of the room, at something resembling attention. “Absolutely, sir. We are ready to put down this rebellion as soon as you give the order.”

  Harmon sighed softly. Then he turned and walked around the desk, looking at Frasier. “Sit, please.” He gestured toward the chair behind the desk. “I don’t want any snap answers, Connor…and I definitely don’t need any bravado. The Mules are extremely capable. And they know the exact makeup of the Corps, right down to your arms and equipment. They wouldn’t have done this if they didn’t feel they could endure an attack…or prevent one.” He sat in one of the guest chairs in front of the desk.

  “Sir, I know there has been concern about the number of Tanks in the Corps, but that is an overblown worry. Marines are Marines first. They will follow orders.”

  “I am not questioning the reliability or loyalty of the Marines. But men and women are complex creatures, Connor. There is a lot of sympathy for the Mules among the Tanks. We’re not talking about attacking an external enemy…this would be a move against our own people. And if they resist, it could come to killing our own people.” He paused, taking a breath. “Are you sure your Marines are ready for that?” Another hesitation. “Are you ready for it?”

  Frasier looked like he was going to respond, but he just turned and walked behind his desk, dropping his bulk into his chair. “I am confident in my people,” he finally said.

  “And you? Are you ready to shoot the Mules? To hunt them down and kill them? Because if we move against them, it could come to that. We may speak in terms of enforcing the law or arresting them…but you know as well as I do that if they resist, your people will have to start shooting.”

  “What choice is there, sir? If we do not stand up for the republic’s laws, what is to stop the next dissatisfied group from ignoring what they don’t like?”

  “But the law is unjust.”

  The voice came from outside the doorway. Frasier and Harmon snapped their heads around toward the sound, just as Ana Zhukov came walking into the office.

  “Ana, this is not the time for…”

  “For what, Connor? To interrupt, to barge in when you and the president are talking about murdering our people?”

  “Ana, I can promise you, whatever we’re discussing, it is not that.” Harmon got up and turned toward the door. “Please, join us. I would value your insights.”

  “I am sorry, sir, but she…”

  “No worries, Connor. I knew Ana long before she was your wife…and I have respected her opinion all that time.” Harmon turned back toward Zhukov. “Please, Ana, sit…tell me what you think I should do.”

  Zhukov paused for a second. Then she walked over and sat next to Harmon.

  “You can’t send the Marines to attack the Compound, Mr. President.”

  “Ana, I would love nothing more than to have an alternative…but I have been unable to come up with one. And, for the love of God, it’s Max. How long have we known each other?”

  “I don’t know, Max…I don’t know what you should do. But killing the Mules isn’t it.”

  Harmon could see how upset she was. Zhukov had worked alongside Hieronymus Cutter in creating the Mules. Cutter was associated with the hybrids in the public eye far more than Zhukov, but Harmon knew she’d been as vital to the project as anyone else…and he suspected Cutter would be the first to agree completely.

  He turned back toward Frasier. “Connor, what are the chances of carrying out a non-lethal assault?”

  Frasier stared down at his desk for a few seconds, thinking. “I don’t know…I just don’t know. We could arm the assault force with stun guns and flashbangs, but if the Mules fight back it would put us at a disadvantage. Non-lethal cuts both ways, sir…if they start shooting at us with real weapons, Marines are going to die. And even if they don’t, we’ve got to force entry, break through barricades. It’s rough work, and there’s a good chance some people will get killed even if neither side is using anything stronger than a stunner.”

  “What if we surround the facility…a blockade.”

  “Starve them out?” The Marine looked skeptical. “I’m not sure…I’d have to really look at it. They have their own reactor, so we can’t cut the power. They have all kinds of onsite production capabilities. My gut is they could produce more than enough sustenance for their needs, even for their proposed new generation. The food might be a little less appetizing than some of w
hat they could bring in, but I don’t see it forcing them to give up.”

  “What if you repeal the Prohibition?” Zhukov glanced at Frasier then back at Harmon. “It’s the primary cause of this, isn’t it? And it’s a monstrous bit of injustice too.”

  “You know I don’t like the Prohibition. I never have. But it is disingenuous to act like we can’t understand why it was enacted. It is all well and good to speak of freedom, and I sympathize with the Mules…but let’s not pretend we all can’t see the danger of allowing them unrestricted rights to increase their population.” He turned toward Zhukov. “Ana, you know as well as I do, they make little effort to hide their attitude. They feel they are superior. Perhaps they are…but have you really considered what would transpire if there were thousands of them? Tens of thousands? Can you honestly say you have no fear what would happen? In ten years? Fifty?”

  Zhukov shook her head slowly. “But don’t you see? The Prohibition has only made that worse. Years of resentment are not likely to improve the Mules’ opinions of the rest of us.”

  “Perhaps we are looking for a palatable solution that doesn’t exist.” Frasier’s voice was grim, sad. “I don’t say this lightly, but it is easy to speak of freedom and justice and other lofty sentiments. But I have spent my life in battle…I have seen where man’s motivations lead him. I sympathize with the Mules too, and I understand how much they have contributed to the republic’s growth despite their small numbers. But that doesn’t mean they are not a danger. I can easily imagine a future where there are thousands of them…and the rest of us are regarded as animals, even an infestation.”

  “So just murder them now, because of what they might do?” Zhukov stared across the desk at her husband. “Is that what you are saying?”

  “I am saying that moral stances are sometimes empty, the easy way. Doing what has to be done, even if we find it repulsive…that is difficult. Imagine our children, Ana…or the grandchildren we may have one day. What will be their world if there are thousands of Mules? Will they be slaves? Will they be hunted down and exterminated?”

  “You are making wild suppositions.”

  “I don’t think so, Ana.” Harmon shook his head. “I do not believe the Mules today would seek to harm us, save only to protect themselves. But we have seen abuses of power throughout our history, political position used to marginalize, even enslave others. Our history is full of abuses, genocide, war. Can you imagine if one group had been demonstrably superior? Stronger, smarter, longer-lived?” He paused. “No, the Prohibition was a bad law, cruel and unjust…but we lie to ourselves if we don’t acknowledge that we understand why it came to be.”

  He sat for a moment before continuing. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I couldn’t repeal the Prohibition even if I wanted to. The Mules have seen to that. Their proclamation has everyone up in arms. I can get plenty of support for an assault on the Compound…but any effort to give in, to repeal the Prohibition, would be dead on arrival.” He turned toward Frasier.

  “Connor, I want you to plan an assault, one with non-lethal weapons. I know this puts your people in greater danger, but I don’t see a choice. We can’t give in to the Mules’ demands. If we did, there would be rioting in the streets within hours, and outright anarchy by the next day.” He closed his eyes for a few seconds, sitting quietly. “But I’m not ready to send armed Marines to kill them either. There has to be a solution for this…something short of genocide.”

  “Max…”

  “I’m sorry, Ana, but there is just no choice. If I don’t do something now, you can be sure whoever replaces me will be far harsher.”

  “Hieronymus is there.”

  Harmon looked stunned.

  “What?”

  “He went two days ago. He was going to try to talk to them, to find out what they were planning.”

  “And he hasn’t returned?”

  “No, but that isn’t unusual…” Her voice trailed off for a few seconds. Then she caught Harmon’s expression. “No, Max…no. The Mules would never harm Hieronymus.”

  “I hope you’re right, Ana.” Harmon’s voice had less certainty. He looked across the desk at Frasier. “A hostage?”

  Frasier nodded. “Possibly. They have to know we wouldn’t do anything to risk Dr. Cutter.”

  Harmon took a deep breath. “I want that assault plan ready to go by tomorrow, Connor. I need your people ready to go on an hour’s notice.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Harmon turned toward Zhukov. “I’m sorry, Ana…I really am. But I don’t think there is any choice.”

  * * *

  “The Mules couldn’t have done more for us. People were afraid of them before, but now that will intensify dramatically. We must use this to our advantage. It just may be the thing we need to gain control of the Assembly…if not the presidency itself.” Jacques Diennes stood in the center of the small cluster of conspirators. The Human Society had already been gaining support among the NB population, and now he was determined to squeeze every bit of advantage from the Mules’ defiance.

  “What do you think President Harmon will do?” Emi Kahn spoke softly, as Diennes himself had. They were in the restaurant’s front room, near the bar.

  “What can he do? I suspect, left to his own devices, he would give in to the Mules, grant them whatever they asked for. But he will be unable to do that. He is barely holding on as it is…if he moves to repeal the Prohibition and pardon the Mules now, the Assembly would impeach him immediately…and reinstate the laws.” He glanced at his companions, moving his eyes from one to the next. “No, my friends, he will have to take some kind of action…and if he orders an assault, every dead Marine becomes an asset to us, even if they Tanks. And when we take power, we will implement our plan, make the changes we have so often discussed. When the vote is restricted, the future of the republic will rest firmly in the hands of naturally-born human beings, the way it was intended to be.”

  “We must be careful, Jacques. There is opportunity, but if we move too aggressively, we could push the NBs who don’t support us to the Tanks. That could be a coalition that stops us cold.”

  “You’re right, Emi. My enthusiasm nearly got the better of me. We must act quietly, spread the word to those likely to vote for us without galvanizing the Tanks against us. And we must suggest the Tanks are aligned with the Mules, that they are capable of the same kind of action.”

  “The Tanks? I agree that human purity must be maintained, but the Tanks are not in the same situation as the Mules. They have the right to produce more of their kind, currently at least…and they are far more integrated with the NB population. I’m not saying there couldn’t be a few terrorist incidents, but most Tanks are fairly moderate in their views.

  Diennes looked right at his colleague. “There is no question, you are correct. But does that matter? The Mules’ action gives us the tools we need to inflame public fear of the Tanks. It is too useful to pass up, whether it is based in fact or not. The Tanks will oppose us in any vote. We must neutralize them by any possible means.”

  Kahn was silent for a moment, an uncomfortable look on her face.

  “Emi, I need your help to win this election. Tell me you’re with me, whatever it takes. Whatever propaganda we have to spread about the Mules.”

  Kahn shifted on her feet nervously. “Jacques, you have my total support…but I think we should make our case honestly. Our cause is a just one. Perhaps we should…”

  “We’ll lose unless we discredit the Tanks, Emi. It’s that simple. If we’d had this chance ten years ago, before so many of the clones reached voting age, maybe. But their total numbers are not far behind our own, and even reduced to samplings of eligible voters, the spread isn’t that much wider.”

  He paused, flashing a glance at the others. He knew they were with him one hundred percent. But Kahn was the smartest of the group. He needed her.

  “You know we don’t do as well with the Pilgrims as with the younger NBs. If we don’t get a massive maj
ority of the new generations…and at least forty percent of the Pilgrims, we don’t stand a chance. And the only way we have a realistic shot is if we scare the hell out of people…make them think the Tanks are next, that one day the clones will come to exterminate them…and the other NBs.”

  Kahn was still silent, her expression broadcasting her discomfort. Finally, she nodded her head slightly. “Of course I’m with you, Jacques.” She paused for a few seconds. “I just hope we can win this honestly…but I will do whatever you need me to do.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Planet X

  Far Beyond the Borders of the Imperium

  This is Vengeance One to all units. The moment we have awaited has come. The human enemy has been contacted, and one of his vessels has been destroyed. The moment of vengeance is upon us. All status one squadrons are to deploy immediately. The orders are clear. Find the enemy’s base.

  A single drone was allowed to escape from the destroyed enemy ship. All forward units are to follow it, to find the way to the heart of the human infestation. Status two and three squadrons are ordered to report to home base on Planet X, to concentrate and prepare for fleet action.

  The intelligence cut the transmission, returned to its analysis. The humans had been contacted, but now patience was important. The intelligence had reviewed the Regent’s failure, its aggressiveness in launching what had amounted to piecemeal attacks against the enemy. Vengeance One would not repeat that mistake. The forward units had a single purpose. Reconnaissance. The main forces, the status two and three squadrons would wait. They would wait until the enemy’s fleet had been drawn deeper into the trap. And then they would strike with overwhelming force.

  The enemy will be annihilated. The Regent will be avenged.

  Admiral’s Conference Room, E2S Compton

  System G-35, Eleven Transits from Earth Two

  Earth Two Date 11.26.30