When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars) (74 page)

             
“Welcome
,”
Markov said
.“
Welcome to the lab.
I’
m afraid w
e’
re not yet ready to bring in the rest of the team, but I think a quick preview wo
n’
t hurt anyone
.”
He leaned in close, whispering
.“
Just do
n’
t tell Sasha. He gets so mad when I have my fun
.
”

             
Alexa laughed, practically skipping as she discovered each gem hidden beneath their barracks. Nearby she saw the scientist wh
o’
d demonstrated the Mark III showing off a breathtaking flare, free falling from a tower and stopping inches from the ground. She caught herself staring more than a little. At the firing range, a modified DaVinci HMG tore a concrete wall to pieces.

             
“Doc
,”
Dax said
.“
What is all of this
?
”

             
Markov led toward a marked off area near the firing range. Their footsteps echoed in the cavernous space
.“
Our project is about more than just the soldier. I
t’
s about the Army. As humanity spreads further and further around the galaxy, the military stretches itself thin. Look at us now: an intergalactic war destroyed a planet and occupies another, all while home-grown threats stage a coup on Earth. The sad truth is that mankind has reached too far too quickly.

             
“The only way to protect ourselves and our interests is to redesign our special forces. Team Hercules is beyond reproach, do
n’
t get me wrong. But they use the same gear and have the same weaknesses as any human. Tha
t’
s why I tried to help with CROWN. Now, after learning from my mistakes, I have this. The program is bigger than just testing new equipment, or experiments with nanomachines. You seven are special, and the universe will see that. I was tasked with outfitting an army
.”
He stopped suddenly, turning to face them. His eyes were distant, as though lost in another time and place
.“I’
ll show them what I can do with a handful of soldiers
.
”

             
Josh struggled to keep pace as the doc took off again. There was simply too much to see
.“
Sir, why have
n’
t we trained with some of this stuff? I mean, this is all incredible. W
e’
d be the best equipped unit in the military
.
”

             
“I
t’
s not all ready yet. Some of the vehicles require a specific interface, and your nanomachines are only so capable. We needed them to communicate with the controls, but first yo
u’
ll need some augmentation
.
”

             
Alexa froze
.“
More surgery
?”
Her recovery had been long and painful, though not as bad as Jos
h’
s own experience. Still, no one relished the idea of going back under, even if they came out even stronger than before.

             
“No, absolutely not
.”
Markov shook his hands
.“
I wo
n’
t risk your lives any more than I already have. These will be traditional augments. Something that only provides a little boost
.”
A look came over him, like a child with a secret
.“
Would you like to see
?
”

             
He pointed to a cordoned off section of the floor, roughly one eighth the size of the room. Josh led the way, pushing aside a thick canvas to reveal the area beyond. He stopped with one foot inside, his eyes as wide as the
y’
d ever been.

             
“Holy shit
,”
he said.

             
Dax grumbled, pushing past his friend
.“
Josh you should
n’
t swear so much
,”
he said. The next sentence caught in his throat. It felt as though the butterflies in his stomach had been joined by a team of eagles
.“
Holy shit
.
”

             
Josh let out a chuckle
.“
You said it
.
”

-                           
V                            -

              It was almost time for the big speech. At a cue from the band, the crowd began to muddle toward the wall of windows on the far side of the gallery. Alexander focused on keeping his eyes forward as each Council member laid into him about this issue or that. In every corner of the universe, despite an intergalactic war and billions dead on a scorched planet, the petty squabbles and party politics continued. Colorum had a mine
r’
s strike pending and the union leaders were stalling for time. Satur
n’
s Trinity station was still in recovery from a devastating solar storm. One engineer had badgered the HC for almost an hour about a deep mining platform that went dark a month before. By the time the music started, Alexander swore h
e’
d met with all one hundred members of the Council for some private business. A thousand problems that, of course, needed the attention of the most powerful man in the galaxy.

             
But he could
n’
t even call himself that anymore. That was the point of his position; the High Chancellor was meant to be a figurehead. The majority of power remained with the Council, just as it had under the UEC. It was a sad fact that the Federate was mostly window dressing over the old government. There had
n’
t been time during the Last Congress to even dream about a change to the system, and the Treaty of Tseang was barely a puppet show. Truth be told, Alexander had as much control over the fate of the human race as the waiter serving drinks. That did
n’
t stop the fingers from pointing his way every time someone needed to be blamed. Sure, he knew the right words to whisper to the right ears, but there was nothing to enforce the demands.

             
Not that anyone was listening anymore. Humanity had become so jaded to war that, even with the death toll climbing, it was barely seen as a bother to everyday life. New Eden had rekindled their attention for a few weeks, but already support for a counteroffensive was nonexistent. Earth was in the middle of a political coup, Mars was still digging itself out of an incredible recession and most of the galaxy had more to worry about than a brushfire conflict that did
n’
t want to end. The current attitude in the Marble Gallery was one of appeasement and cultural sensitivity. If a few million humans had died to cushion the arrival of possible alien allies, the Council was willing to accept that end.

             
Andui
n’
s speech has to be explosive
, Alexander thought. He had
n’
t sat down to talk to the Nangolani leader in weeks, but he had emphasized the importance of bringing the plight of the alien race to the forefront of the Terran psyche. It would
n’
t be enough to simply recite the numbers. Lenin had been right about that. Humanity could
n’
t understand death on such a large scale. There needed to be an emotional connection, and the alien leader could do just that. It was why Alexander had brought so many survivors from Tallus, to join their stories of loss with the Empero
r’
s.

             
The assembled guests were all career politicians, men and women who had dedicated their lives to becoming the embodiment of objectivity. The toll of human life had no effect, nor did playing to their part
y’
s preferred motivations. It seemed the only thing they understood was which side was currently winning the fight. Alexande
r’
s chief of security often said that if the politicians cared as much about the war as they did about reelection, the fight would already be over. Donald was
n’
t at the High Chancello
r’
s side, but Alexander new the old hound would
n’
t let him out of sight.

             
A commotion on the far side of the room caught Alexande
r’
s attention and he felt his blood pressure rise. Kerrigan, surrounded by his entourage of thugs, entered the hall to a smattering of applause. He was a modern day Yasser Arafat, the terrorist turned leader. Jerry grabbed ahold of the High Chancello
r’
s arm, pulling him close.

             
“Do
n’
t say a word
,”
Jerry said.

             
“Excuse me
?
”

             
The Chief of Staff squeezed his hand tighter
.“
Any move you make will only give him more ammunition. Let Anduin speak and we can fight this battle another day
.”
He pasted on a smile to hide his sneer, ineffectively
.“
The Hammer has enough good press already
.
”

             
Alexander fumed
.“
He makes a mockery of the entire process
.”
His jaw clicked as he clenched his teeth.

             
“I know that. You know that. But right now, he has popular support. If we do anything, w
e’
ll be seen as the paranoid big brother striking out at a freedom fighter. And this is supposed to be about the war, not New York or Earth or any of that
.
”

             
“Jesus, Jerry. What would you have me do
?
”

             
His friend sighed
.“
Nothing. Please
.”
He released Alexande
r’
s arm.

             
“High Chancellor Burton, a moment
?
”

             
Alexander and Jerry turned to see Adeline approaching, dragging a young officer along. The young man looked even more out of place than the rest of the assembly. He was clearly uncomfortable surrounded by so many high ranking politicians. He snapped to attention once the High Chancellor caught his eye, lifting his arm in a crisp salute. Alexander returned the gesture weakly.

             
Adeline smiled, gently pushing the young man forward
.“
High Chancellor Burton, allow me to introduce Lieutenant Cameron Davis of Lunar SP. He is being considered for a Meritorious Service Medal for his actions during the Tallus evacuations
.
”

             
“High Chancellor
,”
the man said
.“
I wanted to thank you for the invite. I
t’
s an honor
.
”

             
Alexander read the pilo
t’
s nametape
.“
The man who survived the deep blue
.”
He saw the black and orange ribbon halfway down the row of awards. It was worn by all Fleet personnel who had watched the planet burn. Just looking at the bit of woven string sent a shiver down Alexande
r’
s back.

             
Cameron blushed
.“I’
m just a flyboy, sir. Got lucky
.
”

             
Jerry smirked
.“
From what I hear, yo
u’
ve been instrumental in the cleanup on New Eden. Helped save a group of engineers from some monsters. The Colonial Federate owes you a debt
.
”

             
Alexander laughed
.“
And we dragged him into a political circus? No wonder the military hates politicians. This is how we repay them
.
”

             
“I would
n’
t sa
y‘
hate
,
’
”
Cameron replied
.“
Always nice to show off the uniform
.”
He brushed off the silver bars on his shoulders. It was unnecessary; they were already gleaming.