A New Divide (Science Fiction) (23 page)

              Everyone looked at Victoria, disgusted by her attitude. Mark stood over her and looked down with disappointment.

              "Victoria, you know the Remoran law of power. They are my guests, not yours. You are treading on mighty thin ice." She wiped the blood from her broken nose, and pointed to my father. "It's them! They are the ones! Those Kings! You heard Arcoh! Everything was perfectly fine until they came along!"

              She began to pant, and groan in pain, as the people in the room refused to acknowledge her. Silas walked up beside her and attempted to help his sister to her feet. "I will take no man's hand in help! Get away! I can stand, brother!"

              Victoria quickly stood up, and again wiped the blood dripping from her nose. "You broke my nose, you punk, you traitor! You liar!"

              Silas spoke softly as he stared at his sister with a strange look. The awful look, and realization that his suspicions of a Salaran spy in the Remoran army had led directly to his very own sister. "Victoria?"

              She brushed his comment away, and she continued to berate my father and me. "Not now, brother!" Silas again spoke softly, but he looked up at her with disbelief and fear in his eyes. "The legate called you Admiral Andrews. How does he know your name and rank? Do you know him? This is the first time Remorans have ever traveled this far."

              Victoria turned to Silas, her mood began to change. She became defensive. "How dare you insinuate that I would be affiliated with Salaras in any way? I am your sister, Silas! You know our history with these bastards. I would see them all dead!"

              "You're the one who suggested this was all coincidence; that is mighty suspicious," I said to her.

              "Collin, I swear—"

              Virgil stepped into the conversation at that point. "Please, darlin'. You seriously expect us to believe that the most powerful weapon in the galaxy was stolen, and used, in the exact moment we had to make our leave to fight! Partner, she is a spy! I knew something was off with you the moment we left Arcadia, Vicky!"

              "Nobody asked for your opinion, Virgil!" She looked to Mark, a look of hope washed over her. She thought that if anyone could vouch for her fierce loyalty, it would be the only person in the universe she would ever look up to, or revere.

              "Commander Wyman. These accusations are ridiculous. You trust me. Don't you?" Mark sighed in disappointment. It was clear that Victoria had been keeping secrets. He then called up to the ship's computer. "ALI?"

              "Yes, Commander?" ALI responded.

              "Can you do a search for radio wave transmissions over the last year, and see if any coordinate from Remora to Salaras, or any world under rule by the Salaran Kingdom?"

              Mark peered into Victoria's eyes, hoping that nothing would turn up. Victoria looked to Mark full of worry, a feeling that made us stand still. One could slice the intense tension that filled the air with a knife. "Searching . . ."

              Victoria jumped up to Mark and grasped his shoulders. Her eyes appeared extremely glossy; she fought so hard to withhold the tears that had been building in her ducts.

              "This is ridiculous! Mark! Listen to me!"

              "Three results found. Most recent was sent fifty-six annual solar days ago, from the office of Admiral Victoria Andrews, here, aboard the Alexandria."

              Mark sighed roughly and his lip even quivered knowing the order he had to give. "Guards, seize her."

              "That's—THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" Victoria burst out in rage, and she began to shake Commander Wyman furiously as four soldiers began rushing down the stairs to subdue her. Victoria struggled to break free of the tight hold the Remoran guards had on her.

              "Mark! For the love of Eden, please listen to me!"

              Victoria managed to grab the guard's arm to her right, and flip him onto his back. As the guard to her right fell, she elbowed the guard's face to her left, very swiftly, sending him stumbling into the wall behind him. But soon after she delivered a hell of a punch to the guard in front of her, another soldier rushed in, and stunned her with a TNC (temporary nerve corruptor).

              The TNC is a temporary paralytic stun device that only most elite security forces keep by their sides as a secondary sidearm. The device looks something like an old-world metal lighter, but with a chrome-colored metallic body. When the button on the top of the device is pressed against the biological target, it will cause the subject to lose control of his or her entire nervous system for a few minutes. It is an extremely effective nonlethal weapon.

              "Like I said, Admiral: we are not allowed to believe in coincidence." Victoria then shouted in agony as the soldiers lifted her immobile body off of the floor. "Mark, please! You are making a mistake!"

              "The only mistake I made was giving my trust to you! I thought that—together—we could accomplish anything, but in the end, it was only me trying to survive your treachery."

              "Mark, I'm so sorry. This is wrong. Please listen."

              "I am so disappointed in you. Take her to the brig." Victoria cried then, for what probably was the first time in her adult life. She had betrayed the trust of a man she saw as her mentor, the only person she had ever looked up to, and the man she would forever love. She wept past her brother, who could not have been more disgusted with what she had done, and the way she had chosen to act.

              "All right, everyone! The show is over! I have a plan and it is time to move forward with it!" Mark shouted to the crew aboard the bridge, and they scurried to their respective stations. Mark then called Silas over to him, and the rest of us gathered around the giant spherical projection.

              "Vice Admiral?" Mark inquired to Silas.

              "Yes, sir?"

              "Due to your sister's recent implications, you are now in command of the Alexandria." He simply nodded with a distraught look on his face, still struck by his sister's actions. Mark sighed and looked up at him, wearing a weak smile.

              "Now, as acting admiral of the fleet, I would like to give you your first assignment."

              "Anything you need, Commander."

              "I want you to escort the four next to me, and yourself, to the escape pods. Alert all crew members to evacuate in less than one hour." I looked to Mark and turned him around with my hands, confused by his request.

              "What about you, Mark? You are coming with us. Aren't you?" He took a deep breath and diverted his eyes to the windshield, staring out at the mighty crusader fleet.

              "No, I'm giving myself up to Arcoh."

              Silas stepped in and voiced his concern; Mark's comment had taken all of us by surprise. "You can't, sir! I cannot lead these men on my own!"

              "You will do fine, Silas. Once a majority of the men and women have evacuated their ships, I will greet Arcoh and board his vessel. When this happens I need you to do the most important thing I have ever asked of you, Silas."

              "Sir?"

              "I want you to destroy the ship. Killing both me and Arcoh."

              We were all shocked by what Mark had just requested and in a state of disbelief. Everyone, even some of the crew members, objected.

              "Are you out of your mind? No! There has to be another way!"

              He turned towards me angrily, the first time I had ever seen him act so emotionally. Perhaps it was the suicidal plan he thought of. He grasped my shoulders and shouted at me, his eyes weary.

              "This is the only way we have now, Collin!"

              A pause occurred between us, and a mournful vibe began to pollute the air.

              "But we need you, Mark. You cannot do this."

              He sighed and his anger ceased. He rubbed his hands through his hair, and gently grasped my shoulders once again. A look of compassion swept over his emotional facade. "I would happily sacrifice myself for the good of all Eden. Arcoh is a rabid dog and he has to be put down for the sake of humanity, Collin. He has our weapon, the damage he will cause with it will be unimaginable. This is the only shot we might have at preventing that."

              "Would you listen to what you are saying? This is madness!"

              "Why do people always view bold ideas as mad? If Arcoh were to capture you, all would be lost. I know you learned that in the Realm. So I will sacrifice myself, so you can save all of us from our paths of decadence. You already planted the seeds when we arrived in Arcadia. Use them."

              "But I don't know if I can do this without you, Mark."

              "People believe what they want to, Collin. I believe in you, and all of Eden will believe in you if you stop him, that I promise you. You must understand, we all have our parts to play."

              I looked down at the ground feeling somber. I didn't want to admit it, but his plan made sense. I could only see one flaw in it.

              "What if Arcoh does not show up, and we kill the greatest leader Eden has ever seen for nothing?"

              Mark lightly chuckled and replied, "Collin, you know he will show up. He destroyed your home world just to get your attention. He would do anything to see you again, it's his pride, his disgusting arrogance, that is his strongest attribute. We are going to turn that against him. His mightiest quality will become his greatest weakness."

              That air though, I swear you could smell it through the dried sweat, blood, and dirt. And Mark could smell it too, and it frustrated him. He could tell that, despite his good intentions, everyone was against his plan.

              "What about you, Virgil, old friend? Are you going to disagree with me too?"

              "Boss?"

              "Yes?"

              "I think you are a goddamn idiot! I agree with the kid. There has to be a better way."

              Mark backed away from me, and took another deep breath shaking his head at the ceiling. "So that's it, huh? None of you are with me on this?"

              Silas looked boldly at the commander. "We would gladly die by your side fighting these bastards rather than use you as bait. Commander, sir." We all looked to him, and nodded accordingly to what Silas had said. Mark saw this, and began pacing around rubbing his lightly shaved jaw line.

              "I see then. Guards!" A group of twelve guards rushed over towards us and stood awaiting Mark's orders.

              "Escort all bridge members to the escape pods, and place the bridge on lockdown." The twelve soldiers grabbed us, and began leading us out of the command center, along with all of the bridge's crew. I kicked, and screamed, as I tried to free myself from the brutal grasps of the soldiers.

"NO! Mark, you can't do this! We need you! Mark! Mark!" One of the soldiers zapped me with a TNC and my body went limp. Tears rolled down my face as I saw Mark, standing alone, in the middle of that bridge. So convinced by his own resolve, he was blind to what he was walking into.

              He waited and pondered, and reflected on his life. Truly, he had always wanted to save humanity out of the most selfless act imaginable. This plan he had, he had never been more sure of anything in his life.


CHAPTER 14 - MEN OF OUR WORD

              Desperate men do desperate deeds
, and men who act in desperation are the most dangerous of all. Silas, Virgil, Helena, my father, and I were being forced to an escape pod—by the very soldiers we were ready to fight alongside. Mark's stubborn decision had turned the Remoran soldiers against us, like we were the enemy. Or, at least, it certainly felt that way.

              We were all feeling very mournful and disappointed. Being as stubborn as I was, I refused to accept the fact that Mark was going to sacrifice himself to kill Arcoh. So I set a plan of escape into motion as a squad of four soldiers had brought us to an escape pod. We were all furious, and aggravated, but we managed to keep a cool disposition.

              "Well. Here we are. Get in," the Remoran squad leader barked while he opened the door to the escape pod.

              "So y'all force us out of the bridge, let my boss go ahead with his dumbass plan, and you don't even lemme evacuate with my own damned ship! The hangar is just a quarter of a kilometer away! Do you have any idea how much me and that ship have been through together?"

              The squad leader, feeling confident, looked at Virgil and thought to lecture him. "They are orders, Captain. You should try following them once in a while. You might actually get somewhere in life."

              "Oh. Ya mean like spending my entire life as a squad leader, instead of a captain? I ran an entire battalion four hundred years ago! Long before you became your momma and your poppa's favorite accident. Show respect for your elders."

              "All right, in! Now!"

              I stepped in between the two and interrupted Virgil's argument with the squad leader.

              "I have one request if I could."

              "You don't get requests, gravball boy."

              Silas was extremely offended by the arrogant squad leader's remark towards me, and he spoke out in my defense. "This is Commander Wyman's guest of honor! You will grant him one request, Sergeant!"

              "Humph. All right, what do you want?"

              "A cigarette."

              "You can't be serious."

              "Could I please get a cigarette? I could use a little break. Hell, we all could. Am I right or what, guys?"

              The squad leader looked around to his five other troops, who seemed convinced by my request. Our group then slowly began moving away from the open escape pod. The squad leader grabbed a cigarette from one of his crew, and handed it to me. I took the cigarette from him and placed it on my lip. I tilted my head up and smiled at the sergeant, making the gesture as if I needed a lighter.

              "Can I get a light?"

              "My god. You want me to smoke it for you too?" The sergeant then grabbed a light from the soldier behind him, and lit my cigarette. I took a deep puff, and lightly blew the smoke out. This distraction allowed the others to rotate around the soldiers, safely, and away from the door to the pod.

              "Come on, don't make me feel alone here! If you got 'em now's the time to smoke 'em."

              "Couldn't agree with you more, kid," Virgil said as he began to light up, along with three of the other soldiers. The squad leader continued to stare blankly at me.

              "Come on, I know you smoke."

              "Never on duty."

              "Well, you're not on duty now. Your squad mates are smoking." I smiled at him and he nodded his head completely straight faced. The squad leader glanced up at me as he lit his cigarette.

              "So are you ready to enter the pod?"

              Just as the flame from his lighter almost went out, I quickly snapped my finger. This only lasted but a second. My skin began to glow as I grew a manifestation of energy in my hand. I could feel time slowing around me, or maybe that was my focus.

              Once I got the sergeant's flame, the fuel from the other lighters quickly followed behind it. I created a fireball, and flung it directly into the sergeant. This very mild explosion sent him, and his squad mates, flying into the wall behind them. Some landed on the surface of the escape pod's door, and some just barely outside. Virgil quickly dodged the squad leaders flying body, and grabbed the TNC stunner on the floor.

              My father, Virgil, and Silas quickly rushed towards the temporarily incapacitated soldiers, and began stunning them, in order to place them in the pod.

              "Fell for the oldest trick in the book!"

              "Great job, kid. I hope you have a plan," Virgil said, helping my father place the squad leader's limp body in the pod.

              "I'm working that out as we speak. Dad, come on! We have to get to Mark now! Before he leaves!" My father continued to shock the squad leader as he and Virgil placed him inside the pod.

              "Yeah! Doesn't feel too good, does it, asshole!"

              "John, calm down, man. He's down."

              Virgil stepped out, and slammed the eject button just left of the pod door. The escape pod rocketed down, then shed its protected armor, and was safely on its way to the surface of Rayden. The bombardment of molten rock and minerals had stopped. Now, Remoran drop pods rained from its golden red skies.

              "All right, y'all, grab these stun guns they dropped. We're gonna have to fight our way to the bridge if we want to save Mark." We gathered the equipment the soldiers had dropped, and made our way into a maintenance room down the hall, where we could further formulate our plan.

***

[--]

-The Bridge-

              Mark stood there on the balcony of the bridge, overlooking the Crusader fleet, and the crushing hold they had on his current slice of the Remoran Expeditionary Force. For the first time in his career, he had no one advising him, and no one protecting him. He was all alone.

              "Computer?"

              "Yes, Commander?"

              "Connect me to the Hammer's interface. I want to speak to Arcoh."

              "Yes, Commander."

              After a moment Arcoh appeared. The projection manifested him on the windshield of the Alexandria once again. He sat in the same place as before; it seemed that he had expected Mark's favorable reply.

              "Ah, Commander Wyman, where is your crew?" Arcoh asked as his eyes scanned the empty bridge of the Alexandria.

              "I have a request, Arcoh." Arcoh tapped his hand on the arm of his throne and he nodded to him.               "Go ahead."

              "Collin is awaiting me in the ship. When we meet, I need your word that you will not harm my soldiers, or the people still recovering on Rayden. I have been led to believe—that you are a man of your word."

              "I most certainly am."

              "Grant me this request and I will do anything you ask." Arcoh smiled and leaned forward in his throne.

              "Of course, Commander." Mark turned away and prepared to leave the balcony of the bridge, but Arcoh spoke again.

              "Oh, and Mark?" Arcoh made sure he had Mark's attention before he finished his sentence. "I don't think I need to remind you. If I don't see Collin on the ship I will lay waste to your fleet. It will fall down with the rest of the trash on the surface of Rayden. But I have been led to believe that—you are a man of your word as well, so I have no doubt that you will not disappoint me. See you soon, my friend."

              Arcoh swiped the transmission away and the projection dissipated. Mark then removed the cloth on the command table. It revealed a bomb that was attached to a combat vest he had laid out on the table.

              "I usually am a man of my word but today, today is very different." He took the bomb-coated vest, and began to put it on, underneath his other garments. He latched the sides of the vest, and weaved the wired detonator down through the side of his suit, to the couplet of his right wrist. The button he tied to his hand.

              He sighed and took one last look at the Alexandria. All that he had built, and all that fought at his side over his 500-year-old life. He took a short time to remember the good times he had, not only in war, but in life as well. I doubt he had ever felt so fulfilled or nervous about anything in his entire life.

              He never needed much time, so shortly after, he bid a final farewell to the ship's computer.

              "ALI?"

              "Yes, Commander?"

              "It has been an honor serving with you over the years. My only regret is that you could not enjoy your new home as long as I had hoped."

              "I would happily go down with any ship you decide to integrate me into, Commander. Goodbye, and good luck." Mark released a faint smile, and stared down at the inactive detonator tied to his hand. He put on his coat over the vest, as he spoke one last time to ALI.

              "I have just one more request of you, ALI."

              "Of course, Commander."

              "You must do everything in your power to make sure all of my people have made their way to Rayden within the next twenty minutes."

              "Of course, sir."

              "Farewell, ALI."

              "Again, good luck, Commander." Mark left the bridge, and walked towards his personal dock, where he would board his ship, and complete one final testament regarding his selfless loyalty to his people, and the safety of their future.

***

             
We sat there
, the five of us, in that small maintenance closet, dodging the waves of evacuating soldiers. A few minutes earlier I had just pitched a plan, and we began relaying it between each other.

              "So, Silas, you think it'll work?" my father asked. "If this ship's half-light reactor is overheated, it could very well destroy an entire planet. Crashing it into the Hammer would decimate everything. The might of their shields, or the Hammer's arc-lite armor wouldn't matter at that point."

              "And the mighty Alexandria, the most beautiful and glamorous ship in the known universe, then became its most feared weapon. One single fiery weapon striking down Arcoh, with a flaming sword of vengeance!"

              "Very poetic, Virgil," I said.

              "Damn right, brother."

              "Definitely better than Mark's suicidal plot, no doubt in my mind. I say we go with Collin's idea," my father said. "I only see one flaw in your plot, kiddo."

              "What's that?" I asked.

              "Mark placed the bridge on lockdown, and he's the only one who has the codes to get back into the command center."

              "That's not entirely true, Virgil," Silas replied.

              "How do you mean?" I asked.

              "My sister has the codes."

              My father stood up and pitched in his word. "No, man, no way. Did you see her back there! Plus she is a traitor! If you all want to use this ship's reactor as a flying nuclear weapon that's one thing. But working with that lying bitch? You are out of your damn minds!"

              "Watch your mouth—that's my sister you're talking about!"

              "Your sister is a liar and a worthless thief, Silas!"

              Silas and my father began shouting at each other in the small room. It was proving to be quite obnoxious listening to their rabble. Then Helena spoke, after remaining quiet for the last hour. "Desperate times require desperate measure, boys."

              "Oh please, now we're listening to the mute. This is ridiculous," my father said.

              "You don't talk to her like that! She will be more important to my life than you will ever be from this point out! Why did you even come back? You have been nothing but a pain in the ass since you got here!"

              My father was struck by what I had said and he bowed his head in grief.

              "Dad, I'm sorry; I didn't mean that. I'm just so frustrated!"

              "No, I'm sorry, kiddo. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry, Helena."

              "Can I finish please?" Helena had captured our attention. "Victoria may not be the most pleasant person, but she has the same accessibility as Mark does in this armada. She also knows things about this ship that nobody else does. It may be Mark's army, but this is her ship."

              "What if she tries to turn on us?"

              "Well, you boys may disagree, but I find it very suspicious that she was caught in her act so easily. She is capable of much more than you realize, and in all reality, she is probably more intelligent than all of you. People like that, they don't leave evidence behind. She is too smart to do that."