The War of Pawns (The Human Chronicles -- Book Three) (16 page)

“But the Klin could stop the destruction.”

“That would not serve their purpose. They need us to be hurt, really hurt, so our hatred will carry us forward into this coming war.”

“I realize all that, Riyad. It just pisses me off that there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”

“Then accept it, my friend. After all, we probably won’t be alive this time next week. What’s going to happen is going to happen, with or without us.”

Adam stopped his pacing and stared hard at Riyad. “You don’t have any family left, do you?”

The smile suddenly vanished from Riyad’s face, and his dark eyes grew even darker. “That may be true, Adam, but I’m simply being more pragmatic. I will be seeking peace with my god in the time I have left. I suggest you do the same.”

“I just might do that, if I knew my wife and child would be safe after I’m gone, but they’re only seven miles from here. If the Juireans decide to take out the military bases in the area, this whole region will be cinders when they’re through. And Maria and Cassie won’t even know what hit them.”

“Count that as a blessing, my friend. It’s much worse when you can see the bullet heading straight for your eye.”

Adam sat down heavily on the other cot. He was exhausted. Nothing he had done or said since setting foot back on Earth had made a difference. Riyad was right. What’s going to happen will happen, and there was nothing he could do to change it. He lay back on the cot and closed his eyes, while Riyad went back to watching the news.

Everyone in the world went about their business that day, living their lives as if nothing was about to change. Everyone that is except for the President of the United States…

Chapter Nineteen

Daniel ‘Danny’ Ryan had come into the Office of the Presidency only eight months earlier. His election had been a landslide, in part because of the universal acknowledgement that the previous administration was a complete and utter failure, but also because of his gutsy selection of Senator Emilio Adame as his running mate. The Latino Senator from South Florida, had excited an often-overlooked segment of the U.S. population, and they had rewarded Ryan with 82% of their vote.

Ryan had easily carried both strong Republican and Independent majorities, and ended with a 332 Electoral College tally at the end of election night. The victory had been decisive, and his mandate genuine.

With enthusiasm – as well as strong congressional majorities in both houses – President Ryan set about doing his best to set the country back on the path to pride and prosperity. Already he had passed several strong, business-friendly bills that had set a new tone for Washington, and unemployment had just recently dipped under 7% for the first time in six years.

Things were looking up for the country, and for their new and exciting governing team of Ryan and Adame. Indeed, the future for America was looking very bright.

And then Adam Cain returned to the planet…

The President sat at the Resolute Desk, his head in his hands, slowing rocking back and forth. The four other men in the Oval Office sat silently and awkwardly in chairs placed in front of the desk, waiting for the President to regain his composure. The Secretary of State had just finished informing him of the contents of the meeting held a few hours earlier in the depths of the Pentagon. Now the President was digesting the most significant information any President had ever received.

Ryan could vividly remember the day, a little over eight months before, when the Secretary of Homeland Security, along with the President’s National Science Advisor, Jerrod Llewellyn, had informed him that aliens really did exist, and that the government had been secretly working with them for many years already. It seemed funny now, but at the time Ryan’s first reaction had been that of disbelief, not in the existence of aliens, but rather disbelief that the prior administration had been able to keep it a secret.

He just couldn’t believe the prior administration would have had that much discipline. That was unless they had not been informed! At the time, Ryan had snickered at the thought. Did even his own Homeland Security chief doubt that the president and his staff could be trusted with knowledge this important? If that had actually been the case, Ryan figured there was a treasonable offense in there somewhere, but he wasn’t about to question their reasoning.

Yes, the shocking revelation had been disclosed to President Danny Ryan on the day of his inauguration, and he had been surprising calm about the whole affair. As an avid science fiction fan, as well as a strong supporter of scientific research of all stripes, Ryan had always believed in the existence of extraterrestrial life. He just had no idea he would live long enough to actually have it confirmed. But it had gone even beyond simple confirmation; Ryan had actually met with the Klin Ambassador on three separate occasions already, and had found the alien to be a polite and professional gentle- ‘man.’

Yet at this very moment, President Ryan was feeling something completely different than awe and wonderment at the reality of alien life in the universe.

Ryan raised his head, and his gaze took in the other men in the room. Then gathering his thoughts, he began, “So
what
have the Klin been doing for us all these years, if not to provide us with the means to defend ourselves against these other aliens – the Juireans?”

Jerrod Llewellyn, the National Science Advisor was a Caltech alumnus, and had worked at JPL for a dozen years before entering the political side of science lobbying. He had met Danny Ryan eight years before, and Ryan had been immediately drawn to the energetic and brainy scientist. Recently, the two of them had begun to share many an evening together in the East Wing of the White House, watching special preview copies of some of the latest science fiction blockbusters, of which a whole new set was about to hit the theaters. Llewellyn was also always quick to point out the many fallacies in their plots and special effects. Still, Ryan had always enjoyed Llewellyn’s company – that is up until this very moment…

 
“The Klin have told us all along that they did not come here just to hand over advanced technology to us.” Llewellyn began. “They are here more to guide us in the right directions. We
have
made great strides in electronics and miniaturization, along with battery technology, thanks to them. The new hybrid cars are a good example.”

“Cut the bullshit, Jerrod,” the President said. “The Klin have known about the Juireans for thousands of years, and they knew there was a possibility of an attack from them. I read the report.”

The report he was referring to was the accompanying documentation he’d received on January 20
^th
of that year, regarding the existence of alien life. It had been prepared by the Klin, and went into considerable detail describing all the various players in the galactic game of chess, as well as the potential role the Human race could play. The report also spoke of the uniqueness of Humans as compared to the other intelligent races in the galaxy, of which he’d learned there were literally thousands – including the Juireans and their empire called
The Expansion
.

Also in the report, Ryan had learned the truth about what had happened to the Klin at the hands of the Juireans. The report went on to extrapolate what the Juireans might do to the Humans, if they learned of their existence. It was not a pretty picture. The Juireans were a jealous and vengeful race, bent on eradicating any species they felt could be a threat to them.

The Klin report had strongly recommended that the Humans keep their existence a secret for as long as possible, which was one of the reasons the Klin were reluctant to give Earth the technology for star travel. However, the report did highlight that at the normal rate of growth for The Expansion, the Juireans probably would not reach the planet for several hundred years.

Apparently, the Klin estimate had been way off.

“Mr. President, the Klin could not have anticipated the damage Adam Cain has done to their timetable. They had no reason to believe that defense of the planet would become a priority.”

“Is there any a possibility their forces can get here in time to prevent the attack?” his question came across more as a desperate plea, rather than a legitimate inquiry.

“Unfortunately, they are very apologetic, but equally adamant in saying no. The Earth
will
suffer an attack by the Juireans.”

The mood in the room dropped to a new low.

“Unless
our
mission is successful, Mr. President.” Matthew St. Claire leaned forward in the chair, resting his arms on the edge of the President’s desk. “I just can’t believe a civilized race such as the Juireans would want to exterminate a race of people of which they’ve had no real contact.”

“According to the Klin, the Juireans are not that civilized,” said the National Science Advisor.

St. Claire looked over at him. “The Klin have a grudge against them. The Juireans may not be saints, but they do control an empire of several thousand worlds, and they didn’t exterminate all those races in order to control them.”

“Yes,” Ryan said, nodding, “your mission
must
succeed. Matt, you must do
everything
possible to make sure it does. And I mean everything.”

“Could you clarify that, Mr. President?”

Ryan hesitated for a moment, locking his gaze on General Daniels. “You know what I mean. If the only way to prevent this attack is our unconditional surrender, then you have to take it.”

“Mr. President!” General Daniels spoke up.

“I know, General. This goes against every tenet of the military. But I’d rather see the Human race survive as slaves, rather than see it destroyed completely and forever.”

“But the Klin may still get here in time so some of us can survive,” the Secretary of State pointed out.

“And if they do, then maybe they can liberate us from the Juireans at that time, if it comes down to that. What’s important now is to stop the attack from ever happening in the first place. Again, gentlemen, you must do what you have to so that our race can survive.”

The room was quiet for a long, solemn moment, until the President spoke again. “So the Klin will arrange for you to meet the Juirean fleet.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Yes, they will provide a ship and a crew,” said the Secretary of State. “They’ve already pinpointed a location near the outer boundary of the solar system for us to wait, and we will be broadcasting a continuous signal asking for a truce. There is no guarantee that the Juireans will honor it, but the broadcast will be in the Juirean language. Hopefully, they will be curious enough to stop.”

“Of course, God willing,” said the President. He then rose from his seat and came around the desk. The first man he came to was Matt St. Claire. The SecDef reached out his hand to the President, yet to his surprise, Ryan instead hugged the man strongly. He then hugged the other three in turn.

“Good luck, gentlemen. I know it sounds corny, but the hopes of the entire Human race go with you.”