Mission Origin View (Final Days Trilogy) (37 page)

Manelly led the women and children out of the cargo bay
, and the door into the main part of
Bernice
closed behind them.

“
Deploy the cargo ramp, Gunny,” Gideon ordered and Xia deployed the ramp.

Joseph walked over to
Michael and said, “Here’s a copy of my favorite book. You can have it if you want it.”

Michael turned to face Joseph, smiled
, and said, “I already know everything that is in the book. I do not need a copy, but make sure you offer a book to everyone at the rebel base.”

“
I will,” Joseph replied, returning the smile.

Michael put his hands on Joseph
’s broad shoulders, and Joseph felt a surge of energy penetrate his armor and tingle his body. The tingle subsided a moment later, and it left Joseph’s whole body relaxed, and his mind was relieved of the horrors he had seen. He also no longer worried about his task to save people; somehow he knew he was doing exactly what he was supposed to do.

Turning to Gideon
, Michael said, “You had better leave now. I am sending you the coordinates for the nearest and safest rebel base. Contact them on the attached channel frequency. They will challenge with ‘defeated.’ Counter with ‘dragon.’”

“
I have the information,” Anna informed Gideon as Michael turned and walked down the cargo bay ramp onto the hot surface of the planet.

“
Close the cargo bay ramp, Gunny. Tidwell, let’s get out of here before the czar aircraft arrive. Anna is sending you the coordinates to a rebel base,” Gideon transmitted over the platoon channel.

“
Gunny?” Gideon transmitted over a private channel.

“
Sir,” Xia replied.

“
As soon as we’re airborne, have your Anna copy all combat videos recorded by our armors’ AI and put them on a data card. I want to make sure we have a backup copy of all our combat perspectives of Michael using his weapon.”

“
Understood, Lieutenant,” Xia said.

VTOL
Bernice
, Planet Leonis

0735
—February 28, 2372

Bernice
flew at a low level, hugging the ground as it headed to the rebel base coordinates Michael had provided. Gideon had made his way to the copilot’s seat and was watching the ground below them streak by. It had been only a few minutes since they left the hill, and they were only about thirty miles away. Gideon hoped they could slip out undetected. He recalled that Michael said he would destroy the enemy, but even after seeing the effectiveness of Michael’s technology, Gideon doubted the technology could protect him and destroy that many enemy aircraft and soldiers. The approaching czar attack force would first destroy everything from a distance, probably with a nuke, and then come in and destroy anything that might be left.

“
Sir, the czar attack force is holding in a circular formation one hundred miles from the camp,” Tidwell said as he monitored his flight controls. “Looks like they’ll be nuking the place before they move in.”

“
That’s what I thought they’d do,” Gideon responded and then switched to
Bernice
’s intercom system. “Everyone, strap yourselves in. I expect we’ll have some turbulence soon.”

A few seconds later, warning alerts and alarms flooded the flight
-control deck, reporting a nuclear device had detonated nearby. As
Bernice’s
AI implemented electromagnetic pulse (EMP) protection procedures, the marines prepared for the shock wave. The prisoners, widows, and orphans probably didn’t know what to expect. They would soon learn.

The shock wave hit
, and
Bernice
violently pitched from side to side. The ship’s automated fight control AI detected the shock wave forcing
Bernice
down and
immediately
took control from Tidwell, fighting to gain altitude. Using full power,
Bernice
climbed to a safe altitude, and a few seconds later the shock wave had passed. Tidwell manipulated some controls on his console, and a rearview hologram appeared. The mushroom cloud of a detonated nuclear device could be clearly seen.

“
I don’t think Michael was able to stop them,” Gideon commented as he watched the deadly cloud boil upward into the atmosphere. He added, “And even if he did, he won’t be alive long. The czar soldiers will go through there with a fine-tooth comb.”

“
ETA to the rebel base?” Gideon asked a few seconds later.

“
Forty…seven…minutes…sir,” Tidwell answered slowly, hypnotized by something new on the rearview hologram display. He added, “What’s that, Lieutenant?”

Gideon
looked back at the rearview display and saw a transparent white bubble quickly engulfing and blurring the view of the nuclear mushroom cloud.

“
I don’t believe it!” Gideon said as he watched the bubble grow. “Michael might be alive. That looks like the same type of energy bubble he used on the hill?”

A few seconds later
the white haze completely blurred the mushroom cloud, and then the white bubble exploded with a blinding light.
Bernice’s
AI quickly adjusted to the increase in light by darkening the holographic display, but no other warning or alarms sounded from the flight console. After the light dimmed on the display, Gideon could see another shock wave expanding slowly from the explosion, and the mushroom cloud was now gone.

“
Why aren’t we seeing warning lights and hearing alarms?” Gideon asked.

Tidwell manipulated some controls and answered,
“All sensors are working fine, sir. The sensors aren’t detecting anything, and the radiation from the nuke explosion is no longer being detected.”

A moment later an alarm from the AI tactical system reported the location, heading
, and elevation of the czar aircraft still flying in a circular formation.

“
What’s happening, sir?” Tidwell asked.

“
I’m not sure, Sergeant, but I think Michael used his weapon again,” Gideon answered, then used his flight console to try to determine how fast the new shock wave was moving and how soon it would hit the enemy aircraft.

After querying the sensors, Gideon was unable to get any information; it was as if no energy
had been used to create the last explosion, and that was why the ship’s sensors didn’t detect the explosion. Gideon then used the controls to move the rearview camera toward the enemy aircraft formation and then zoomed in. After a few adjustments, and with the help of the ship’s AI to enhance the image, he and Tidwell could see the czar aircraft and the new shock wave slowly approaching them. Gideon then verified that the images they were seeing were being recorded.

Gideon continued to watch until the shock
wave reached the enemy aircraft. As the wave moved through the formation, the enemy aircraft vanished one by one. After the last aircraft vanished, the alarm from the AI tactical system that had reported the enemy formation suddenly stopped. Seconds later the shock wave dissipated.

VTOL
Bernice
, Planet Leonis

0844
—February 28, 2372

“
Sir, we’re here, but I can’t see anything, and the sensors aren’t picking up anything,” Tidwell said as
Bernice
began circling above the coordinates Michael had given them. They were close to the planet’s equator, and below them vegetation was as thick as a tropical jungle on Earth. The genetically altered plants somehow tolerated and thrived in the intense heat and carbon monoxide as they released oxygen into the atmosphere.

“
Disable stealth mode and set the com channel to the channel frequency Michael gave us,” Gideon said.

“
Yes, sir,” Tidwell said and disabled
Bernice’s
stealth mode and set the communications channel frequency.

“
Defeated,” Gideon suddenly heard on the communication channel.

“
Dragon,” Gideon replied.

“
Landing coordinates have been transmitted to you. Land and remain in your ship until contacted,” a voice said.

“
Coordinates received, landing now,” Tidwell said.

Tidwell
guided
Bernice
into a narrow crevasse hidden by
camouflage
netting that retracted.
Bernice
entered, and the netting closed as soon as the ship cleared the rim of the crevasse. Gideon watched as Tidwell landed on a marked landing pad and shut down
Bernice’s
systems.

Gideon noted the
walls of the crevasse were solid black stone, and the ground was covered with black pebbles and sand. A few buildings stood at one end of the crevasse, and several VTOLs sat on landing pads at the other end. The VTOLs were old US Marine models, probably left behind from the last war with the
Council of Czars
. Several individuals came out of one of the buildings; most of them were armed and wore old marine combat armor, while the rest wore environmental suits. The armed and armored individuals ran toward
Bernice
and surrounded her. Gideon noted that at least one of the armed individuals had a deadly Stryker magnetic rail “shotgun” aimed at
Bernice
. It was an old weapon, but it was powerful and could put 150 holes through the hull of
Bernice
in a microsecond.

“
Have the commander of your group exit the port-access hatch,” a voice said, paused, and added, “Your ship will be destroyed instantly if you try anything suspicious.”

“
Tidwell, you know what to do if they try and take us prisoner?” Gideon said.

“
Yes, sir,” Tidwell answered, “I’ll set
Bernice
to self-destruct.

Gideon put his
armor helmet on, took off his harness, walked out of the flight deck, and entered the port-access air lock. After the air lock door closed behind him, he opened the external hatch door, and a ladder automatically deployed to the ground. He climbed down the ladder, and as soon as he reached the ground, he held his arms up. One of the armed men approached him, took Gideon’s weapon, and escorted him to the group of people wearing environmental suits.

“
Who are you?” one of the men asked.

“
I’m Lieutenant Gideon Klaxton, United States Marines,” Gideon said.

“
What’re you doing here?” another man asked.

“
I’ve completed a mission and have wounded escaped political prisoners aboard requiring medical attention. Also, our ship is damaged, and we need to perform some repairs before we can leave,” Gideon answered.

“
What was your mission?” the man asked.

Gideon thought for a second and decided to answer truthfully
since he and his team weren’t going anywhere until
Bernice
was repaired. He and his marines would either die fighting or have time to repair
Bernice
and leave before the
Stephen Hawking
left to continue its mission. He’d have to gamble; he didn’t want to stay on Leonis and wouldn’t be taken prisoner
.
“We rescued Doctor Qasim,” he answered.

“
Zeeb,” a man said.

“
Wolf,” Gideon replied. He paused and asked, “Vaniah, is that you?”

“
Yes, and I’m glad to see you’re still alive, Lieutenant Klaxton. I had to make sure it was you and not an attempt by the czar to attack us,” Vaniah answered. “Men, stand down. They’re friends. Help with the wounded.”

The men surrounding
Bernice
lowered their weapons and approached the ship’s cargo bay doors.

“
Tidwell, open the cargo bay ramp and have Manelly and Kindle help you with repairing the landing gear. Gunny, help get the prisoners with environmental suits off the ship and report to me when you’re done,” Gideon ordered over the platoon channel.

The men chimed acknowledgments.

“Vaniah, there’re some old women and orphan children aboard without environmental suits. We’ll need some suits for them so they can leave the ship. They’re all ill and look as though they’re starving,” Gideon said.

“
We have a doctor, and I’ll have her examine them on board your ship before we move them,” Vaniah said. Then he transmitted on a private channel for his doctor to report to him.

“
Lieutenant, will you have one of your men escort the doctor aboard when she arrives?” Vaniah requested

“
Sipes, you and Doctor Qasim report to me on the double,” Gideon transmitted.

“
Yes, sir,” Joseph answered.