Warpath (35 page)

The cold stasis systems
activated, and Burke was stopped mid sentence.

“Hungry!” was the
first word out of Burke’s mouth. He was freezing, shivering, and
the knock-off vacsuit under his clothing was just starting to warm
him up. It would happen slowly.

A big, mechanical hand
reached into the pod and hauled him up onto his unsteady feet beside
the pod. “I’m sure we can get you something, mate,” said Otto,
a towering cyborg who had very little human left. Even his human skin
had a sheen to it, indicating that it had been replaced with
synthetic armoured flesh. “What happened to your other boot?”

“Short story, long
explanation, not really worth going into,” Burke said, shivering,
feeling the moisture in his sinuses start to drain, and his gut
rumble. Cold stasis didn’t exactly freeze people, but it came very
close, and there was nothing he hated more, even though it had saved
his life twice. He looked at his surroundings. He was in some kind of
small hangar. There were a few newer model Order of Eden fighters
nearby, and through the window he could see there was a larger bay
with a stone ceiling. They were in an asteroid.

“I tell you to bring
me a ship, and that’s what you come in?” Wheeler shouted. “Burke,
man,” he laughed. “You’ve gotta aim higher!”

“Kambis,” Burke
said through chattering teeth. “Probably gone.”

“Yeah, I know, it’s
not gone though. Good as gone, on fire for a century or two thanks to
all the crap they left sequestered for terraforming on that rock,”
Wheeler replied.

“We lost everyone
there?” asked Otto.

“I think I only got
out because I was waiting for a planet hopper to leave. I’ve been
checking out Bismark’s patrol ships for you, figured I’d have one
for you in a few,” Burke took a deep, steadying breath. The air was
nice and warm. “A few days. I got all the scheduling info from Port
Chalmers, for all the good it’ll do, and a bunch of scans.”

“You’re the worst
backup plan I’ve ever had,” Wheeler said.

“He’s unlucky,”
Otto said. “Don’t think there was anything he could do about the
planet blowing up.”

“It caught fire,”
Wheeler corrected exasperatedly. “It did not blow up.”

Otto picked up a chair,
brought it to Burke and sat him down in it. “Better?” he asked.

“Yeah, thanks Otto,
now make me a sandwich,” Burke said.

“All we got is forma,
and the E-Meals from the Order,” Otto said apologetically.

“Just kidding, man,”
Burke said.

“Okay,” Wheeler
said. “All I’ve got is a connection to the Order of Eden network.
We’ll have to take something they’re bringing in. Something my
little crew can manage to take.”

“If you’re
connected, then you’ve got the command codes?” Burke asked.

“Yeah, but things
didn’t go well, that’s why I’m here to greet you personally,
not just Otto and the others,” Wheeler replied.

“What do you mean,
didn’t go well? They’re not after you now, are they?”

“No, they’re not
after me, but they don’t want me in their club either, I’m not
exactly a devotee they can trust.”

“So you didn’t get
a ship,” Burke said. It was a damning situation. He knew getting
stuck with Otto and Wheeler’s small mercenary crew in the middle of
no where could lead to the break up of the crew, and he’d be alone
again, penniless. The only thing he could lay claim to were his
ripper gun, his clothing, and the pod he came in. “I got the entry
code system figured out for Bismark ships, I made a hack.”

“I got a ship,”
Wheeler said. “It’s just a small customs corvette from the Codis
System, and it’s out of date. Slow hyperdrive, small disabling
weapons, you know, nothing worth keeping if we can get something
better.”

“I’ve been
improving the thrusters,” Otto said. “Got an extra eleven point
nine percent.”

“Yes, Otto,”
Wheeler said. “We’re all proud.”

“So, let’s put a
plan together,” Burke said, his shivering finally starting to
subside. “Like I said, I got the travel routes, not just from
Kambis, but for Bismark Industries, they’ve got hundreds of haulers
and transports. They’ve got some ports we can go to, I’m sure I
can find us something bigger. Something newer, we just need a few
more crew, some guns, maybe a few supplies.”

“Guns and supplies,
we’ve got,” Otto said. “No sandwiches though.”

“You didn’t say all
of Bismark’s routes before,” Wheeler replied, smiling.

“Sorry,” Burke
said, then he leaned towards Wheeler and shouted. “I have the
courses and timetable for the entire fleet for the next month!” He
leaned back in his chair, coughed once and quietly asked; “Was that
clear enough?”

“And you can crack
their security?” Wheeler asked.

“Yes, I figured out
their security software,” Burke replied, consciously not offering
any details.

“Congratulations,
you’re important again,” Wheeler said.

Visiting the Everin
building was always surreal for Finn. The mountainous structure
looked like the pictures of an Issyrian clutch he’d seen once, with
oval sections closely affixed to each other, making one large,
shining structure. This one reached for the sky, whereas the
traditional underwater homes of the issyrians often rested in piles,
wedged into crevasses on ocean floors.

He was supposed to be
helping to oversee the third day of the rebuild on Captain Valent’s
new ship, but he was invited to the main floor of the Everin building
that morning. There would be a memorial, and the engineering staff he
lost would be featured. There were hundreds of people gathered inside
the main floor, and thousands outside.

Agameg stood at his
side amongst the officers from the Triton and Captain Valent’s
crew. Most of the leadership from Haven Shore was in attendance on
the other side of the circle surrounding the covered monument. All he
could tell was that it stood approximately three metres tall, and was
semi-circular.

Governor Anderson stood
in front of it looking across the crowd. “This monument wasn’t
supposed to be finished for another month, but I was approached by
the team of artists who were sculpting this in their spare time. They
wanted to devote their full attention to it since so many of our
people are leaving tomorrow. I believe they have accomplished a
miracle in the short time they had, and that their work will serve to
remind us of the heavy cost paid for the peace we have in Haven
Shore. Please, let your first round of applause be for them and their
hard work.” He pointed to a group of sculptors, most of whom seemed
sheepish, except for three, who had their heads bowed.

The grey sheet covering
the monument was lifted by cables drawn overhead, to reveal a crowd
of stone people standing in an incomplete circle on a flat pedestal.
In the middle of the pedestal was an etching of Haven Shore’s main
island with a circle of words Finn couldn’t make out from where he
was standing.

Jason and Laura Everin
stood prominently between all the other stone people, facing each
other, holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes. The rest of
the semicircle of stone people were frozen in natural poses, as
though they had gathered for a celebration with each other. They were
all people who died during their arrival on Tamber and the year that
followed. Several of them, near the outer edge on one side, were from
his engineering team.

Angela and Yolanda, who
were as driven as he was to earn their way to Chief. Rain, Oscilla,
and Frank, who were inseparable for their last few weeks of service.
There was a plaque at their feet that the five of them were tilting
upward together. The sight of them struck so deep, he almost forgot
to applaud. He knew he’d have to speak at the end of the
presentation, and clamped his jaws together, refusing to let a tear
roll. He could not think about them until the moment was over, he had
something important to say.

The applause abated,
and a representative of the crafters stepped forward. She was in a
red Triton Fleet Uniform, marked as an Ensign. “It reads,” she
said aloud as she arrived at the open centre of the monument. “For
the sacrifices made in our founding year. In recognition of those who
lost their lives while building a safe place for wanderers. May this
serve as a monument to all who have protected and will protect
Tamber,” she looked to the crowd facing the open section of the
monument, momentarily taken aback by their number. “It was our
pleasure, our honour to make this in their honour.”

She quietly returned to
the group of sculptors, only two of them were in Triton uniform, the
others wore various workers suits that marked them as pickers,
maintenance people, and builders from the island. Finn was surprised
at how many people he didn’t recognize in the monument, including
three children that couldn’t have been over five years old. Two
stood with a woman who smiled down at them, holding their hands.

There was a smaller one
on the other side smiling towards the centre. She was a little girl
with curly hair who looked like she was about to pull a prank on
someone. Her minder was a tall man with broad shoulders, who looked
down with pride. “So many people I never noticed,” Finn
whispered.

“We worked whenever
we were not fighting,” Agameg replied as quietly.

“Normally, at a
ceremony like this,” Governor Anderson said, “we would read all
the names of those honoured aloud, but the list is still being built.
When you take a closer look at this monument on your own, you will be
able to see profiles of everyone this monument represents, and of
everyone who sacrifices their lives in defence of Haven Shore and the
war we wage against those who would harm us. Now, I would like to
call two esteemed members of our government forward. Councillor
Mischa Konev and Director Lacey Rosedale.”

Governor Anderson
stepped aside and Councillor Mischa Konev took his place. She wore
loose skirts, had sun browned skin and dark curls that cascaded down
past her shoulders. She waited for Lacey Rosedale to join her,
wearing a similar loose black dress. She was much taller, and paler.
“There is a special plaque on this statue dedicated to a person who
is important to Haven Shore and Tamber,” Lacey said. “I believe
she will be remembered with pride, and with reverence. She is the
only living person celebrated on this monument.” She looked to
Mischa.

Mischa Konev continued.
“Captain Ayan Anderson negotiated with a difficult military
occupier to find a group of refugees a place to safely build a home.
In one year she directed the construction of this building. During
that year more people came, and she found ways to keep them housed
along with her father, our Governor. We are here because she had the
vision and the tenacity to lead us through our first year, and when
our first real home was built, she began to organize a government so
we had representation. Thanks to her, we have a home, and Triton
Fleet has something to protect.” She looked over to Lacey who
patted the corner of her eye dry and shook her head. “Director
Rosedale was supposed to finish this speech, but she’d like me to
continue for her.”

There was a modest
ripple of laughter across the crowd. Councillor Konev smiled, waited
a moment then pressed on. “I think she’s teary-eyed because our
Founder is preparing to leave us. She is joining Triton Fleet so she
can defend what she built. She will be overseeing the fitness of the
Fleet as it leads the war against the Order of Eden. We wish all of
them God speed and Good hunting. We’ll keep the home fires
burning.”

Finn looked to his
left, where he knew Captain Anderson was standing beside Captain
Valent. He was not surprised to see her trying not to cry, dabbing
her eyes with a tissue. Captain Valent had his arm around her
shoulders.

The Counsellor and
Director returned to the circle of people standing around the
monument, and Governor Anderson took his place again. “I am only
the Master of Ceremonies today, but I have to say this about the man
who is about to speak. He is the bravest fighter I have ever met, a
Captain who is so well respected that the Admiral of Triton Fleet
told me that he should speak for the Fleet instead of the Admiral
himself. I have never met a soldier who can seize an opportunity like
this man. I present Captain Jacob Valent.”

Captain Valent quietly
checked with Ayan and then motioned to Finn, who had actually
forgotten that he was supposed to speak before his Captain. Alice and
Ayan stood together, arm in arm, as Captain Valent began walking
towards the monument.

Finn followed him. “Say
what you came to say,” Captain Valent told him in a whisper. “If
you have trouble with crowds, just look up, forget they’re there.”

Finn turned and faced
the crowd. Instead of looking up, he looked at Agameg for a moment.
“The Holocaust,” he paused, the sound of his own voice over the
public address system surprised him. “It has given us all something
in common. We have all lost someone.” Liara stepped into the spot
he was in before, beside Agameg, her big brown eyes stared at him
from across the grand lobby floor. His heart skipped a beat, he
forgot what he was about to say next so he glanced at his command and
control unit, which sent a private scrolling message into his line of
sight. He started by reading the first few words. “I left my family
because I wanted a better life for myself, I didn’t want to work on
the docks, or at the refinery. They are gone now. Most of them
survived the Holocaust Virus at first, but I later discovered that
the Order of Eden seized their world, and they were killed. I carry
my grief with my crewmates, because our stories are similar. We don’t
have to ask, we do not ask.” He paused and glanced at the images of
his lost engineering team to his left and closed his eyes for a
moment.