Psion Alpha (5 page)

The
line for food was long, winding along the southern side of the old cafeteria.
Walls had been knocked out to expand the room to seat hundreds of people at a
time. Families of all ages and sizes sat at long tables. Judging from the
smells and what Sammy could see on nearby plates, breakfast was French toast.

A
couple in their early twenties stood in front of Jeffie and Sammy in the line
and struck up a casual conversation with them just as Thomas Byron entered. Thomas
scanned the room until he found Sammy and made his way toward him. Sammy was
glad for the interruption. He didn’t feel like talking to strangers while so
many other depressing thoughts occupied his mind.

“Morning,
you two,” Thomas said. He wore a bright smile and regarded them with something
like a twinkle in his eye. “Everything going all right?”

“Yeah,”
Sammy and Jeffie both said.

“Did
you watch the speech?”

They
both answered that they had.

“Me,
too. I don’t remember wading through that much crap since I was a kid helping
my father with the horses.”

Sammy
forced a smile for Thomas. “Listen, Sammy, I’d like you to be on the leadership
council starting tomorrow. I’d have invited you sooner, but I had to get enough
people on my side. And some of them are darn stubborn. More than me. Well,
maybe not, but, anyway, I need you to be up to speed with what’s going on and
get your input.”

“Just
me or all the Betas?”

Thomas
glanced at Jeffie. “Uh … just you.”

“Why
not the others?”

“Just
you. Do you want in or not?”

“Yeah,
but—”

“Great!”
Thomas placed one of his big hands on Sammy’s shoulder. “Come find me after
breakfast so we can talk.” He left to join Lara at the back of the line.

“Leadership
council, huh?” the husband of the couple in front of Sammy asked. “Was that
expected?”

Sammy
shrugged, wondering what was going on inside Thomas’ head. For the last week,
the Betas had been assigned to surveillance duty and kept out of the loop as to
the resistance’s plans. Direct questions as to the future had always been met
with indirect responses. Sammy hadn’t understood why, and still didn’t. After
all, he’d helped coordinate the resistance’s efforts when he’d lived in Wichita
for those few months earlier in the year.

“It
is pretty cool,” Jeffie told the couple, smiling at Sammy. “That’s my
boyfriend. He is a genius.”

The
married couple laughed.

“No,
I’m serious,” Jeffie insisted. “He’s like an Albert Einstein-type genius.”

“Jeffie,”
Sammy grinned in embarrassment, “please don’t ever say that again.”

The
man and woman turned away as though they suddenly found the conversation
awkward and not worth pursuing. Jeffie looked up at Sammy.

“Aw,
look how red your face is!” she teased.

Sammy
rolled his eyes. “And for future reference, I’m way smarter than Albert
Einstein.”

When
they got their food, they found seats with Brickert, Natalia, Kawai,
Strawberry, and Hefani. Sammy told them what Thomas had asked.

Brickert
responded first. “Sounds like Thomas wants to clue us in on the big plans.”

“It’s
about time,” Kawai muttered. “I feel like we haven’t done anything useful since
we got here.”

“It’s
weird,” Natalia said, “but after being in that battle, a part of me is anxious
for some action again. I thought I’d never want to experience it a second time,
and yet I find myself thinking about it. I feel ready to do more.”

Brickert
nodded with her. Kawai didn’t say anything, and Sammy couldn’t read her face,
but he could definitely read Jeffie’s. She didn’t agree with Natalia’s
statement.

“I
mean, we survived,” Natalia continued, combing her black hair behind her ear.
“We met the challenge and we were ready. For the longest time, while at
headquarters, I thought I sucked at this stuff. But it turns out I don’t. I did
okay. I’m not saying I’m an amazing warrior, but I held my own.”

“You
did great,” Brickert told her as he rubbed her back.

Sammy
ate quickly while he listened to his friends chat and kept an eye on Thomas and
Lara a few tables away. Both Byrons were deep in conversation with other
leaders of the resistance. The discussion seemed animated, but not heated. He
yearned to be a part of their conversation.

“Sheesh,
slow down there, Sammy.” Jeffie made a grossed-out face.

“You
have an eating disorder you want to talk about?” Brickert asked.

Sammy
chased down the last bites of his French toast with a glass of milk. “Okay, I’m
out,” he said as he stood. “Brick, you mind helping me with
this
disorder?” He pointed at his dirty dishes. “See you all soon.” He gave a wave
to Jeffie as he meandered over to Thomas and Lara’s table. Thomas looked up as
he approached.

“There
he is!” Thomas exclaimed with a clap. “Just talking about you. Did your nose
itch?”

“You
mean, were my ears burning?”

“Eh,
whatever. Sit down.” Thomas draped an arm over Sammy’s shoulder. “This is Sammy
Berhane. Sammy,” Thomas gestured to the group around him, “this is part of our
leadership council. I’ll introduce you formally to everyone later.”

One
woman in her forties crossed her arms. “I still don’t see what he can add to
our council. He’s a boy. Tall, yes, but still a kid.”

“Sammy’s
fifteen,” Lara interjected. “Almost sixteen.”

“And
a genius,” the woman added tersely, her arms folded as she disapprovingly
surveyed Sammy.

“Sammy,
meet Krystal Berry,” Thomas said. “She’s one of the many skeptics on our
committee who prevented you from joining us when you first arrived. Will you
please tell her the answer to three thousand seven hundred and eight times two
hundred ten?”

“Uh.…
” Sammy tried to remember all the numbers and think about it, then the answer
appeared in his mind as if he was reading it off a calculator. “Seven hundred
seventy-eight thousand six hundred eighty.”

“You
could have practiced that,” Krystal leaned in and said. “What’s forty-four
thousand three hundred eleven times seven hundred forty-two?”

“Do
you know the answer?” Sammy asked her.

Krystal
sat up straight. “No. I’m not a math whiz.”

“Neither
am I,” Sammy said. “So forget the math for a second. Let me ask you something
more important. What are the most commonly seen attack patterns of Thirteens
and Aegis when they have larger numbers than their targets?”

“I—wait—what?”

“Thirteens
will surround the targets, use the Aegis as living shields, and use confusion
tactics to disrupt the enemy. If the enemy is a Psion, like me, they’ll aim
high and low to minimize the effectiveness of our ability to shield.”

Several
others at the table snickered.

“Look,”
Sammy told her impatiently, “I want to be of service. I have—well—abilities
that let me be as valuable as any
adult
. If you don’t want my
assistance, stop attending the meetings.”

“No
need to—”

“Be
rude?” Sammy finished for her as he snatched a pen from Thomas’ front pocket. “No,
rudeness would be me
not
helping. I’ve been in multiple battles with
Thirteens and Aegis. I know more about them than you. Apparently, many of you
fail to understand this. Not only do I have a mind built for tactics and
strategy, but I can also do this.”

Sammy
picked up her empty plate and placed it on his palm. Then he made the plate
hover above his hand. Most people around him watched with fascination, but a
couple of them backed away in fright.

Krystal’s
eyes widened. “How—how?”

Sammy
shot the plate up in the air with a super strong blast. As it rose, Sammy used
Thomas’ pen to scribble on an unused napkin. The plate nearly hit the ceiling
before sailing back down toward the table, saved from shattering only by
Sammy’s deft catch.

“What
you just saw also helps me stop bullets. And block fire. And jump super high.
And hover above the ground. There are a dozen of us here who share my
abilities. Do you know what our limits are?”

Krystal
shook her head. Sammy passed her the napkin. “Your answer.”

On
it, he’d written: 32,878,762.

“I
do, Miss Berry. I know my limits because I’ve stretched them and been tested in
battle. Now do you think I might be able to add something of value to your
council?”

She
didn’t answer. Her eyes were glued to the napkin.

“I
think that means yes,” Thomas said, covering his grin with the back of his
hand.

Sammy
regarded her coolly. “Good. Now let’s quit wasting time.”

Thomas
guffawed at Sammy’s performance. “Okay. That’s settled. Now we need to talk
about the matter at hand. Sammy, we want to launch an attack on the CAG.”

CHAPTER
THREE
– Alice

Wednesday, October 9, 2086

DEEP
underground, in the Military Operations Room of the War Offices, Commander
Byron sat in a hospital gurney, propped up at a forty-five degree angle. Profound
numbness filled the lower half of his body, a sensation which Byron had grown
accustomed to over the last several weeks. With all the IVs and stimulators connected
to him, he took up a majority of the room. Bandages soaked in orange goo to
promote healing wrapped his legs and torso, and the metallic fingers of muscle
stimulators bit through them like sharpened spider legs.

Next
to the commander stood President Marnyo. The tall, dark man appeared to have aged
years in the last few weeks, especially his hair, now more gray than black. His
face wore a permanent look of deep concern and barely controlled anger, even
when smiling. The president’s wife stood next to him, clutching his arm. Both
wore the uniforms of Psion Alphas. Also in the room sat the other three
surviving members of Alpha Command, the NWG Vice President, and several
satellite and communications technicians. Three giant holo-screens lit the
room, casting everyone’s face in a gray-blue hue.

“Everything
we’ve got is online, Mr. President,” one of the techs announced. “Looking Glass
is a go as soon as everyone reports in.”

The
president turned to Commander Byron, whose attention was on the screens. The
com fixed to Byron’s ear buzzed with the sounds of activity. “Are you ready,
Commander?”

“Yes,
sir.” The commander’s mind was strangely clear. Despite Byron’s injuries, the
president had asked him to help design and lead this military operation, code
named Looking Glass. Byron had planned dozens of missions over the last three
decades, some for Alphas, and many for Betas. Until today, all his missions had
been orchestrated using the most up-to-date technology available. Painstaking
research and intelligence had been gathered for each and every one. But with so
little data on hand after the attack on Capitol Island, Byron felt like a blind
man planning today’s endeavor. Most of their systems were either damaged or
offline, requiring them to rely on antiquated methods to strategize their
battle plans.

The
situation was more dire than anyone wanted to admit. For the last four weeks,
CAG forces had occupied the western end of Capitol Island, working to gain
access to the War Offices. Fortunately, the Offices were built like an
underground fortress. Guarding the long underground staircase to the War
Offices were three massive doors forming the main entrance. These doors could
not simply be blown open; any attempt would trigger a failsafe, collapse the
tunnel leading downward, and block off all access. Instead, the giant doors had
to be dismantled and detached one at a time, a delicate, painstaking process requiring
more care than cracking the most labyrinthine safes.

Of
the three sets of doors guarding the main entrance to the War Offices, two had
been dismantled successfully, and the CAG operatives needed only two or three
more days to remove the last. The Aegis and Thirteens had already attempted entrance
to the War Offices from the private tunnel in the President’s mansion, resulting
in several CAG fatalities when the armed passageway detonated, burying dozens
alive.

The
NWG forces held two advantages going into Operation Looking Glass. The first was
the element of surprise. While the CAG certainly expected a retaliatory attack
from NWG forces, they did not know how or when. The second was the presence of
three other small access tunnels into and out of the War Offices that even
Byron hadn’t known about until a few weeks ago. One passageway led to the
northwest, one to the east, and one to the south of their current position.

Commander
Byron, Justice Juraschek, and Anna Lukic, along with a few others, had studied
maps and newly-restored satellite intelligence to strategize their plans. From
what they could gather, approximately fifty Thirteens and a hundred Aegis had
set up three areas of camp around Alpha Headquarters. The majority of these were
located in the hangars. The second area was in the campus among what remained
of the housing units after the missile attack. Infrared showed several troops
living in the housing units closest to the landing strips. The third and
smallest pocket of enemies was camped immediately outside the main entrance to
the War Offices, trying to break through the main doors.

To
take on those hundred and fifty soldiers, Byron had Anna Lukic round up every
last survivor to determine those most combat-ready. The squadron most intact
from the missile strikes four weeks ago was Charlie, Albert’s squadron.
However, several other Psions, Ultras, Tensais, and Elite had survived and made
it into the bunker. Dozens more were holed up in the wreckage of the NWG
Medical Center along with hundreds of others, which included politicians,
civilians, and the survivors of the attacks on Ultra and Tensai Beta
headquarters. Communication and coordination between the bunker and these
refugees had taken place through the secret eastern access tunnels President
Marnyo had revealed to the commander.

After
four weeks of careful plotting, Byron and his advisors believed they had given
themselves their best chance at success. The planned counterattack would be
merciless and, hopefully, effective.

The
middle holo-screen changed from satellite images to a helmet-mounted video
feed. The letters “QH” in the corner told Byron that broadcasting this feed was
Anna Lukic, code named the Queen of Hearts. Her voice came over the com, “Red
team ready and in position.” Anna’s team of Psions, Ultras, and several more
Elite stood just behind the final massive door blocking the main entrance to
the War Offices.

“Copy
that, Queen of Hearts,” Byron announced.

Seconds
later, the middle holo-screen split into two feeds. This new one was broadcast
by CC, code named Cheshire Cat, or Justice Juraschek. Elite, Psions, and one Tensai
(himself) composed his group. “Blue Team is all go.”

“We
copy, Cheshire Cat.”

They
stood in a dark underground shaft supported by wood beams on a rock-covered
trail that led south from the War Offices, under the housing units, and into
the basement of an old, vacant Alpha building originally built as a shooting
range.

“White
Rabbit, please report,” Byron said.

“White
Team is in place,” Ho Chin, or White Rabbit, answered. Ho Chin was a
trustworthy Psion who had helped Albert construct the data that led to Samuel’s
rescue from CAG territory. His team was all Psions and Elite. Their starting
position was located in the north campus through a tunnel coming out through a
utility shed. They would wait in hiding until the red and blue teams converged,
and participate in the joint assault on the hangars.

The
fourth team was the secondary wave of soldiers, a mixture of civilians, Elite,
and three Psions, driving over from the NWG Medical Center wreckage. For the
last week, Byron’s team had been secretly moving arms and supplies to them.
They would come far around the north side and attack the hangars from the west,
the weakest area, and split the CAG defenses.

“Mad
Hatter, is everything set?” Byron asked.

“All
go and ready to rock, Dad,” Albert said.

“Mr.
President, all teams are in place. Do you give the go ahead for the mission?”

President
Marnyo looked solemnly at Commander Byron. His wife took his hand and Byron saw
her knuckles blanche. “You have my permission.”

Commander
Byron closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. Then he turned his attention to
the Vice President. “Let it be known that at 0912, on Wednesday, October 9,
2086, President William Marnyo approved Operation Looking Glass. Queen of
Hearts, you are clear to move ahead with the first objective.”

All
eyes focused on the top left corner of the middle holo-screen—Anna’s broadcast.
In the dim light, Byron saw the explosives her team had attached to the large
bunker door. The demolitions engineer in front of Anna gave her the thumbs up.

“Ready
to blow,” she said. “Deactivate the failsafe in the main tunnel.”

One
of the technicians in front of Byron turned and signaled to him.

“Failsafe
is deactivated,” the commander told Anna. Now, when Anna’s team blew the door,
the tunnel’s explosives would not detonate.

“Fire
in the hole,” Anna said.

The
blast roared through the speakers and echoed loudly from the War Offices’ main
entrance. The shouts of the Aegis caught by surprise accompanied the booming
noise. Smoke, dust, and debris clouded Anna’s feed as she shouted orders to her
team. Gunfire erupted in the tunnel for about thirty seconds, and ended
abruptly.

“Tunnel
is clear.” Anna’s voice transformed from all business to grimly triumphant.
“Objective one complete. Zero casualties taken by Red Team.”

Byron
examined the live satellite feeds on the left holo-screen. One showed Alpha
headquarters in visual spectrum, the other in infrared. Thirteens and Aegis
scrambled to react to the sudden explosion Anna’s team had caused.

“They
know we’re awake, Queen of Hearts,” Byron said. “Move to objective two. Be
careful crossing through the housing area. Those old sweepers we used might be
too ancient to detect any bombs.”

“Copy
that, Commander.”

“Blue
and White Teams proceed with objective two.”

Anna’s
voice again came over the com as she gave orders to split her team into two
groups. One half of her team, Red Team A, was heavily armed and took cover in a
thick grove of trees immediately west of the main entrance to the War Offices.
The B team headed into the housing area of the campus. Meanwhile, Justice’s
Blue Team emerged from the old shooting range and pushed north to the south
side of the campus. Objective two was to clear out all enemies from the housing
area and force them back toward the hangars.

“First
unit containing hostiles is at your ten, Cheshire Cat,” Commander Byron told
Justice. “Half of Red Team is approaching at your two.”

“Psions
in front,” Justice ordered. “Everyone else take cover behind.”

“White
Rabbit report,” Byron said.

“White
Team moving to second position,” Ho Chin reported. From the satellite feed,
Byron could see the white team sweeping around the north side of the hangars
out of line of sight of the enemy.

“Green
Team moving to second position now,” Albert said. “All cars are loaded and on
the move.” The drive from the hospital wreckage to the main entrance of the War
Offices was over ten kilometers. Albert’s Green Team would stay behind Anna’s
Red Team and be ready to reinforce as a flexible unit.

“Copy,
Mad Hatter. Be safe.”

“Enemy
engaged!” Justice announced.

Byron
glanced between the satellite feed and the visuals coming from Justice’s
camera. Aegis and Thirteens shot at the Blue Team from under the cover of four
different houses. Psions and Elite returned suppressing fire. One Aegis took a
bullet to the head and part of his skull exploded. No one else on either side
was harmed.

“Take
out the walls, Cheshire Cat,” Byron ordered. Then he checked to see what other
movements the enemy was making. Cruisers were preparing to launch from the
hangars. “Queen of Hearts, send your B team down to flank Blue Team’s targets.
You stay with your A team in the trees. We have incoming gryphons.”

“Copy,”
Anna said.

Byron
watched half of Anna’s Red Team split off southward through the houses toward
Justice’s Blue Team. Meanwhile, Blue Team launched grenades into the windows
and doors of the homes harboring the enemy. Explosions sparked bursts of light
on the satellite feed’s infrared spectrum as they detonated. Then,
unexpectedly, dozens of other bombs exploded simultaneously in the area where
Red Team B traveled, but the radius and concussion of the blast extended all
the way back to the main entrance of the War Offices.

“What
was that?” Byron asked. “Queen of Hearts, report!”

No
answer came.

“Queen
of Hearts!” he repeated.