Too Old To Die, page 9
“Yes, ma’am.” Reece logged in.
Lyra won’t stay in one place for long. She has to make a mistake eventually. Let it be this time. She brought the information online. It required her military command code, one from her original post. Uh… that’s not good. What’s going on? Did they send this to the Korla as well? Or my bosses for that matter?
“This is weird,” Chelsea said. “You ready? Is the tracker on?”
“Yeah, it’ll be done in a moment.” Reece stepped over to look at her screen. “What’s up?”
“Here we go.” Chelsea brought the feed online. A young man’s face appeared. His collar insignia indicated he was an ensign.
“All officers abroad and with the joint task force. I’ve been instructed to send this data out immediately. This message may be cut short due to enemy jamming. A Veldon attack force has entered Earth’s solar system. They are advancing toward the planet’s surface. We have orders to withdraw our forces. Coordinates…”
The message ended in static. Chelsea slumped back in her chair. Reece stumbled back against the wall. Neither of them spoke for a good minute. When the terminal started beeping to indicate the trace completed, both women jumped, turning to stare at it.
“Do…” Reece grimaced. “Do you think that’s real? That the Veldon…”
“Yes.” Chelsea nodded. “Why… that’s another matter entirely.”
“I was about to ask why they’d do it.”
“They’re warmongering assholes.” Chelsea shook her head. “But how did they get so close to Earth? How did they storm across all that distance, arriving at our front door without being challenged by a fleet? Or another colony for that matter? God… I have to reach out to Police Command. Maybe they know the rendezvous coordinates.”
“Doesn’t seem like they got out,” Reece replied. “And now… wow, I wonder how bad… do you think Earth’s okay?”
No. Chelsea didn’t want to speak the word for fear of willing it into existence. If they made it all the way there, then they probably caused some serious damage already. We’ll be picking up pieces.
“Our fleets,” Chelsea said, “we should find out what happened to them. Where they are. I’ll… reach out to the captain here. Find out what they know.” The commander of the vessel was a Korla. He may or may not have been paying attention to such things. When she came aboard, he expressed some irritation with her commandeering the vessel.
Nothing like a little human bigotry to take you far. Chelsea stood. “We have a lot to do, Reece. Can you find a way to gather the information I’m talking about? Fleet movements, comm traffic… anything at all will help.”
“Ma’am.” Reece cleared her throat. “I don’t want to be the one to say this but… you and I are assigned to the joint task force.”
“What’re you getting at?”
“Just… that… well, the JTF doesn’t engage in wartime disputes. We keep the peace even during fighting. So high command may not be happy if they find out we’re using the resources here to look into it. We’ll be jeopardizing the neutrality—”
“Fuck that,” Chelsea said. “Those are our people out there! Friends, family…” She thought about her father. He hadn’t popped in her head for a long time. Then, as a war with the Veldon began, he came right back. I guess I’m not as done with him as I thought. “They won’t begrudge us finding out if people are okay.”
“I can swing it with that, ma’am.” Reece hurried out of the room.
She’s right. Even telling the captain won’t matter. And what can I do? Go back to Earth alone? Become a target? Chelsea thought about finding her father though. Maybe I can do that much. The captain of this vessel won’t be sad to see me leave. Then I can sort this out on my own.
Chelsea noticed she had a trajectory for Lyra. I wonder if that pirate asshole knew what was going to happen. Did she plan on having a war between two factions cover her tracks? There was no way. The woman might’ve been clever, hard to find even, but a Machiavellian genius, not so much. I can’t pretend it’s impossible.
Part of her wanted to chase down her quarry and stick to the job at hand. Two forms of duty started a brawl in her stomach. I can either run back to the military or do my job here. What would my father do? She had no idea. They weren’t close enough to base anything on his actions.
I can gather data while chasing Lyra. Chelsea collected the coordinates to the potential jump point. The adjacent system was eight hours away. They’d already burned several of them, giving the pirates a decent head start. Not enough to be too worried about. Particularly if she makes a mistake in that next sector.
Chelsea sent a text message to Reece. “I’ll be leaving the ship. Please send me any data you collect as soon as you get it. I’ll be monitoring our normal comm channels. Meanwhile, I’ll reach out to my contacts in the military as well. If I learn anything, you’ll be the first to know. Let’s stick together on this.”
“No problem,” Reece wrote back, “thank you. I’m hoping it’s nothing.”
Don’t be wishful. Chelsea kept that to herself. Soon, the Korla will know all about this. They’ll probably address all their human members, letting them know we’re neutral. They aren’t the best when it comes to consider emotions. Or ties to a community. Whatever. Until that moment, I’ve got some leeway. I intend to use it.
She sent another message to the captain, letting him know she intended to go on alone. Then a second to the hangar, requesting clearance to depart. With any luck, she’d be on her way to the next system within the half hour. Plenty of time to avoid the inevitable briefing from her current chain of command.
I can buy myself a couple of days by shutting down the long-range transmitter. Or at least jamming the common signal. I’ll drop Reece a message on my way out with the coded channel we can use. Chelsea figured it wouldn’t do much good in the long run. But she had to know what was going on at home.
All the humans in the JTF will be curious. If I tell high command, they might even let me cascade the info down. Humans had allied with the Korla a long time ago, which meant they should be prepping their military for a counteroffensive. Something told Chelsea there’d be some feet dragging.
They don’t want to go to war. Not at any cost. But they might not have a choice. The Veldon probably won’t stop with us. And when they look around, there aren’t many targets as juicy as the Korla. Which meant they were heading for a galactic war. Something on a scale that hadn’t been seen since her father’s day.
God help us.
***
Gareth found himself just outside of a clearing as one of the Veldon drop ships came in for a landing. The other two circled. There was only room for one of them without clearing out the trees, blasting the area. He didn’t see any reason they shouldn’t and yet those two other vessels remained aloft.
“How many per ship?” Gareth whispered. “Total numbers.”
“Eight,” Zoe replied.
“Any idea why they’re staying aloft?”
“They’re letting this one scout the area. They’ll provide support if necessary.”
Gareth noted they were equidistant from his house, Sheila’s place and the Fifties house with the generators. If he had to guess which place they’d go first, it would be the one with the power draw. But none of it made sense. Unless the guy happened to work for the military, and even if he did, what did the humans have that the Veldon would find valuable?
I need to find out. That was all he could hope for considering his weapon situation. Eight of them represented far more than a little challenge. Veldon armor combined with their natural toughness made them more than a match for a human without protective gear. He’d seen them take down a full platoon with less.
Once I know, what do I do? How do I proceed? Without a connection to the military or any fleet, he’d be in an impossible position. Intel without a place to send it was ultimately pointless. Worse, he’d be risking his life for something he likely couldn’t use. I feel like I should head back. Protect Sheila and Franklyn.
Gareth knew better. A pistol wouldn’t stop those creatures from busting into a house and killing everyone inside. Maybe I should run ahead. Find out what that guy’s been up to with the generators. We might get the drop on these assholes if we blew up some power cores. The kind of explosion we’d generate definitely had the capacity to leave a mark.
The Veldon craft landed. Their rear ramp dropped. Six of the beasts disembarked immediately. They formed a semi-circle just outside as two more of their ranks exited the vehicle with a large crate. Once they put it down, the thing popped open, revealing some kind of advanced terminal.
“What is it?” Gareth whispered. “Zoe, any idea?”
“Advanced communication gear,” Zoe said. “We saw it on the Hillard Campaign.”
“That’s right!” Gareth envied the device. If he could gain access to it, he might break through the interference. Tell the fleet they had an invasion force on the surface. If they could get some help ASAP, that would make things a whole lot better for the region. But they’re not coming. If we’re lucky, these pricks didn’t destroy every ship up there.
The Veldon established comms with someone. Two broke off, heading into the woods opposite Gareth.
Patrols, he thought. They’re trying to secure the perimeter before they start their operation. I need to know what my neighbor was making. Taking out one or two Veldon didn’t have much of a point. If he did it, they’d put down the other ships, sending out another sixteen of the creatures.
On the other hand, every dead Veldon meant one less for the military to deal with. Or the civilian population in the area. God, this pistol would have to be at point-blank range. If he pulled it off, he’d get his hands on one of their weapons. That might turn the tide. Evening out the weapons exchange. God, all I have to do is kill one of them.
And yet, it sounded easier said than done. Beside the toughness of their armor, he had to get through their manes, their thick skin. Gareth switched his weapon to full power then slipped away from his position, keeping low. The trees around him likely obscured him from their scanners, at least for a while.
The terminal they brought with them may have the ability to penetrate through the flora. That gave him a time limit before he’d be on the run in a major way. Fleeing the Veldon filled him with dread. After his hike the day before, he suffered some serious soreness. His brisk walks and jogs hadn’t chased it away.
The more he moved around, the harder it was to ignore the discomfort.
Stop thinking so far ahead. You’re about to throw yourself into the line of fire. Chances are good you won’t survive the next ten minutes, rather than a half hour of running away from the monsters. And that’s if they think you’re a threat. Taking down one or two Veldon didn’t guarantee he’d become a target.
He’d seen the creatures lose half a squad without deviating from a mission. When they set their minds on an objective, it took a great deal to draw their attention. Commanding armies against them had been a terrible experience. Only after months of fighting, did they finally catch patterns and use their single minded focus against them.
But that meant letting them drive toward an objective, pushing hard. Gareth often wondered how many casualties they could’ve avoided finding another way to deal with them. Rather than digging in defensively, letting the beasts charge them. So many humans spent their lives on foreign worlds over bullshit combat zones, it haunted him.
Some of those deaths came because of his decisions. Because he won more often than he lost, high command considered him a hero. He felt otherwise. Not like a killer or loser, but disappointing to himself. The medals he received for his actions felt wrong. If he didn’t pull off a mission flawlessly, he didn’t want to be decorated.
Of course, if one only got an award for perfection, precious few people would ever receive one.
Gareth shook his head, struggling to stay in the moment. Adrenaline threatened to distract him. His vision started to tunnel. He took a slow, deep breath. His heart rate slowed, the pounding in his chest becoming a dull thump rather than a rapid tapping. The Veldon scouts rustled through the bushes not even thirty feet away.
“You’re doing great,” Zoe said, “calming down was the right move. Remember, you’ve done this kind of thing before. You know your business and it will be fine. Be patient. And we’ll come out of this alive.”
Thanks for the pep talk. Gareth didn’t dare risking a comment out loud. I need to get this done. The scent of his quarry tickled his nose, a familiar ozone rising above the earthy grass and trees. I thought I’d never experience that sensation again. Kind of sad it had to happen in all honesty.
The two walked side by side, too close to take one out without the other immediately getting involved. So Gareth had patience, following Zoe’s suggestion. Remaining motionless in the bushes, he watched them. A sense of urgency rose only from the fact he didn’t have a lot of time before they established their tech on the planet.
They’ll know everyone in the area at that point. Gareth had tried to interrogate a Veldon once. His unit had captured one on a mission behind their lines. He had needed information about troop placement and numbers. Short of torturing the thing, they couldn’t get it to talk. Even if they had resorted to harming it, he doubted it would’ve broken.
Sure would be nice to know why they’re here. Without access to that terminal they brought down here, we might never know. Depended on what happened when a couple of their ranks went down. At least I’ll have a weapon. I can head back to Sheila and Franklyn. Try to get them over to Mindy’s place. Make her open that damn panic room.
The Veldon on the right patted his companion on the shoulder then wandered off toward the clearing again. They’re not scouting. He was posting this guy as a guard. Holy shit. This is perfect. Gareth gave the other Veldon a good minute to get out of there before he made his move.
Creeping out of his cover, he stayed low, moving up behind his target. The creature shuffled from foot to foot, hardly looking around. How’s he already bored? The Veldon reminded him of sharks. If they weren’t constantly moving forward, always engaging in conflict, they suffered for it.
And this one more than the others.
Gareth crept closer. The pistol would only take him down at point-blank range. Another few steps… a shuffle. He scraped, making far more noise than he would’ve liked. The beast didn’t react, didn’t even move. Perhaps the helmet deadened the noise or it was lost in its own headspace, thinking of something else beside its duty.
The moment came. Gareth stood. He pressed the barrel of his pistol against the back of the Veldon’s neck. It stiffened half a second before he pulled the trigger. His weapon screamed, echoing through the trees like a warning bell. The blast did the trick, dropping the target as if it had an off switch.
Gareth snatched the rifle then dashed into the bushes opposite the way he came. Dropping low, he stopped moving to check his new weapon. It resembled the standard issue Veldon gun, but they had made some upgrades since the war. The sight appeared better, and it definitely felt lighter all around.
Trigger mechanism remained in the normal spot. No safety. Battery pack read as full. He knew enough Veldon to read the important parts. As he returned his attention to the path, another of the invaders came hustling forward. It grunted, some words in their battle language. It also changed, enough that Gareth had no idea what they might be saying.
“Can you translate?” Gareth whispered. “Zoe?”
“I’m afraid not,” Zoe said, “we haven’t had a military upgrade in a while. So if intelligence has cracked this new language, we haven’t received it. And my brief attachment to the satellite didn’t provide information either. However, I can say this, they’re relying more on the natural sounds they make rather than something more elaborate.”
Wonderful.
As he expected, more of the Veldon came to investigate. One of them checked the victim. Their body language suggested they declared him dead. The one crouching directed the others to search the area. They moved off down the path in both directions, neither heading into the bushes.
Yet. They’d do that soon enough. Unless their objective took precedence over their dead. Then this poor bastard’s killer gets away until he raises his head again. They’ll be wary now. On guard. But that might not matter now that I can take them out from range. Though he’d have to do it without taking a shot himself.
One blast in the wrong place will end me faster than my first target died.
“They seem to be heading for the generators.” Zoe’s revelation felt somewhat obvious.
“Of course,” Gareth whispered. “He’s probably a government contractor working on something special. They want it. Why, I don’t know. This gun sure seems interesting enough. Then they’ve got the system locked down tight enough to risk drop ships. I don’t know. Something fishy’s going on.”
“What’re we going to do?”
“Get to the house first,” Gareth said, “warn the man who lives there. And hope we can hold these things off. Maybe detonate the generators. That should give us enough of a distraction to get out of here. We can rendezvous back at Sheila’s.”
“Is that the most tactically sound idea?”
“No, but I don’t have a better solution that involves rescuing those people. They have to be taken somewhere safe. I’m sure that the military knows the Veldon put down here. And if they care about that research, they’ll send a team. We have to hold out until they arrive. Until then… it’s a game of evasion.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
I’d better be. Gareth crept away, moving as fast as he dared, making little noise in the process. This may be a really short trip if I don’t. And a disappointing end to a shitty day.
Chapter 7
Nila Chance loosened her collar. After their narrow escape, they had arrived in an uncharted system. Bryce told her they had traveled three hundred light-years. That didn’t seem enough to escape the Veldon. The fact they arrived in a place without any technology proved to be a good thing. And bad at the same time.
