“Come on,” Marten said. “Let’s gather the others. I want to move while there’s still time to join the expedition.
The next twenty-four hours was a blur of travel and fighting as they sped through sectors that had declared for Backus. Fortunately, as elsewhere, the countryside was almost devoid of people. They lived in the underground cities. The only ones allowed outside were farm workers, military personnel and those who paid for the privilege of vacationing on the surface or those with the political pull to do as they pleased. Police units patrolled the roads.
It meant for some ugly sights. Several times, they passed a single, half-charred body. The corpse dangled by wire from a tree. One could only presume the man had been judged a saboteur or a traitor. The police must have sentenced him to torture and death.
Once they spotted an old woman gathering sticks. On sight of them, she shrieked, dropped her sticks and hobbled away. At least three times, they saw a red-uniformed peacekeeper. One had been hacked to death. Another had three sharpened sticks in his body. More people must have slipped out of the cities than Marten had realized.
In Bosnia Sector, an attack-jet screamed down at them, launching rockets. The Jovians were ready and sent up a hail of anti-rocket fire, bringing down all but one missile. That missile took out a warfare pod and injured a marine. Xenophon launched a SAM at the jet. There was an explosion in the air, and a burning jet plummeted earthward.
Several hours later, under Marten’s command, they scattered a battalion of police trying to block their path. It was a lopsided fight. With the greater numbers, the police should have easily destroyed the lifters. But they were unused to combat, to having people fire back. The Jovians sent the police running, although it cost them two marines and several wounded.
“The attrition will wear us down long before we reach Geneva,” Osadar said.
“I think the police units are still getting used to maneuvering outdoors,” Marten said. “And I don’t think they’re in any hurry to reach Italia Sector and face cybertanks. If we keep moving fast, we should be able to reach Cone territory before the police learn what to do.”
The next few hours were uneventful as the lifters zoomed across the terrain. Then Nadia swiveled in her seat and mutely handed Marten a hand-computer.
He took it, and goosebumps jumped onto his arms. Omi stared out of the screen. The muscled Korean had his patented blank look, with a .38 in his hand. He was obviously on the run when this picture had been taken.
“Look at the next one,” Nadia said, with an odd note in her voice.
Marten touched the screen, and his eyes widened. “Ah Chen,” he said.
“So you
do
know her,” Nadia said.
“What?”
“The caption says it’s your girlfriend.”
Marten looked up, seeing Nadia glaring at him. He began to read the report. The police had picked up Ah Chen in Russia Sector. She had made it halfway across the Eurasian continent. At first, the police believed her to be a Highborn spy, as she had come from Sydney, which was in occupied territory. Under interrogation, she admitted that she searched for Marten Kluge, the Jovian Representative.
“Why is she looking for you?” Nadia asked.
“I have no idea,” Marten said, puzzled and bemused.
Nadia folded her arms, her features hardening.
Marten knew the trouble signs, but he kept reading. Ah Chen had been transported to Italia Sector, joining Omi in detainment. Their execution had been set for tomorrow. During the fighting in the Po Valley, however, Omi had made his escape, taking Ah Chen with him. Now the two fugitives were on the run. Any person with information was to report it to the authorities. The last known whereabouts of the two was near the outskirts of Venice.
Marten checked. Venice was one of the few places in Italia Sector that had declared for Cone. That’s probably why Omi had been running for it. The Security Specialist had sent several vessels there, unloading troops to help in the attack in the Po Valley.
“We have to change course,” Marten said.
“So we can pick up your girlfriend?” Nadia asked.
“I helped her once,” Marten said. “She doesn’t mean anything to me now.”
“Then why did she cross half of Eurasia looking for you?”
“That’s a good question.”
“She’s beautiful,” Nadia said.
“Omi is on the run,” Marten said. “We have to go back for him.”
Osadar had been listening to the exchange. She now swiveled around. “We may not reach Geneva in time if we do.”
Marten read the reader, seeing what else the article had to say. He began shaking his head. “If we don’t help our friends, we’re useless. We’re heading for Venice.”
“It’s a possible hot zone,” Osadar said.
“There is fighting near Milan. But I don’t think it has reached Venice yet.”
“This is a risk,” Osadar said.
“What do you want me to do?” Marten asked, looking from Osadar to Nadia. “We stick together or we’re no good. Force-Leader Yakov taught us that.”
Nadia frowned, but she began to nod. “We have to go back for Omi.”
Osadar threw up her hands. “I cannot counsel you on this. You know my thinking.” She turned to her computer.
Marten picked up his com-unit and began to issue orders.
***
It was anti-climactic in one sense. They didn’t run a gauntlet for Omi. They spoke no lies and forewent trading shots and shells with police units or Army battalions that had declared for Director Backus.
Three hours after changing course, Nadia received a radio signal from Cone. She informed Marten.
He straightened his uniform and found a cap, fitting it over his head. Then he turned on his screen.
“Hello, Security Specialist,” Marten said.
Cone wore her sunglasses but her skin looked slack. There was an old-fashioned bookshelf behind her. With a start, Marten realized it was Hawthorne’s old quarters. The Supreme Commander had given recorded talks from the room. Maybe Cone thought it would give her authenticity if people saw her there.
“I am
Vice-Chairman
Cone,” she said, “the acting representative of Supreme Commander Hawthorne.”
“An interesting choice,” Osadar said quietly.
“Congratulations,” Marten told Cone. “Does this mean Hawthorne is alive and is broadcasting from the battleships?”
Cone gave the smallest of head-twitches, which could have meant anything. “I’m sure you are aware of the fighting between the illegal police units and the military backing me.”
“Sure,” Marten said.
“Force-Leader Kluge, while I appreciate all you’ve done, you have become too…politically charged to remain on Earth. I’m afraid I will have to insist that you depart the planet.”
“Let’s not play games,” Marten said. “You’re fighting for control of Earth and Director Backus is challenging you.”
“He has been illegally elected, as Supreme Commander Hawthorne still governs Social Unity.”
Marten knew Hawthorne had written a resignation, but it looked like Cone had decided to ignore that. This woman thought fast on her feet. If the people wouldn’t accept her, maybe they would accept a deputy acting in Hawthorne’s name.
“You don’t have to convince me,” Marten said. “I’m with you. I don’t forget the people who helped me.”
“I’d rather not speak about that,” Cone said. “This communication may be monitored.” Cone pursed her mouth before she said, “You must immediately head for Geneva and leave Earth.”
“I’ll do that as soon as I pick up Omi.”
“There is no—” Cone glanced to her left off-screen and listened as someone spoke. She faced the screen again. “My people have contacted your friend. Actually, it appears he raced into one of their encampments in the company of a woman.” Scowling, Cone glanced left again as someone spoke urgently. “What? Oh, I see.” Cone faced Marten. “The woman is a Highborn spy.”
“I doubt that,” Marten said. “Her name is Ah Chen. I saved her life once in Sydney during the initial Highborn invasion.”
“I see,” Cone said. “You lead an interesting life, Force-Leader.”
“If you give me my two friends,” Marten said, “I’ll be on my way and headed for Neptune.”
Cone nodded. “The faster you leave Earth, the better. I hope you will not hold this against us.”
“Not at all,” Marten said. “Where are they?”
Cone gave him the coordinates, adding, “You’d better hurry. The fleet begins acceleration in several days.”
As Cone signed off, Marten wondered why the little engineer had come hunting for him. It seemed strange, not at all like her.
The answer came an hour and forty-seven minutes later. The lifters halted at the defensive perimeter of a tank brigade. The lifters touched down beside a wall of sandbags, with skeleton trees on the hill behind the perimeter. He noticed there weren’t any bio-tanks, but low-built vehicles with monstrous cannons.
Marten climbed down the lifter and spoke with the brigadier, a youngish man in a black uniform and low-billed cap slung low over his eyes. Soon, Omi and Ah Chen stepped out of a bunker, escorted by grim-eyed soldiers with machine guns.
“Didn’t think I’d see you anytime soon,” Marten said, fiercely gripping Omi’s hand.
Omi nodded as if nothing mattered, although he gripped Marten on the shoulder, squeezing painfully.
“Are you ready for our last run against the cyborgs?” asked Marten.
Omi gave him a blank look, one he had perfected long ago in the slums of Sydney. Then he jerked his thumb at Ah Chen. “Remember her?”
She looked small and demure, if a little older than Marten recalled. There were wrinkles at the corners of her eyes that hadn’t been there several years ago. She stared at him, and she seemed burdened. He remembered seeing her naked as he decapitated Major Orlov of PHC hundreds of kilometers underground of Sydney.
“Is anything wrong?” Marten asked.
She shook her head and sidled closer to Omi, putting a hand on his biceps.
Marten raised an eyebrow. He hoped that meant what he thought it did. It would go a long way toward keeping Nadia happy.
“I’m married,” he said.
“That is good,” Ah Chen said in her soft voice. “I am glad for you, Marten.”
“We’d better get going,” Omi said, and he gave Marten a significant look.
It finally got through to Marten. They knew something important, something they wanted to tell him, but not in front of the military people of Social Unity. Oh, he really got it then.
Ah Chen
knew something.
“Yeah, we’d better get going,” Marten said. “The Security Specialist—excuse me. The
Vice-Chairman
wishes for our quick departure.”
“Those are my orders too,” the brigadier said.
“Then if you don’t mind…” Marten said, as he glanced at the lifters.
“Please, be on your way.”
“Omi, Ah Chen, you’ll ride with us,” Marten said. “I’d like to introduce you to my wife.”
Soon the lifters were turned around, once more heading for Geneva.
“What’s all the secrecy about?” Marten asked in the lifter.
It was a tight fit. Ah Chen sat on the floor with her legs crossed. Omi hovered protectively near her.
Ah Chen swallowed nervously as she glanced at Nadia. “I have wondered a long time what to do with my information. Then Chief Monitor Quirn saw you on the Nancy Vance Show.”
“Old hall leader Quirn?” asked Marten, bemused.
Ah Chen nodded.
“Were you two friends?” Marten asked.
Ah Chen blushed. “It is a complicated story. He lives with Molly.”
“Oh,” Marten said.
“Who is Molly?” Nadia asked.
Marten opened his mouth, uncertain what he should say.
Ah Chen glanced from Marten to Nadia. Then she said, “Molly was a mutual acquaintance that went through the invasion with us. In any case, once I learned you were on Earth, and that you were the Jovian Representative, I believed that fate had given me the answer.”
“To what?” Marten asked.
“Yes,” Nadia said. “I’d like to know that, too.”
Hunching toward Marten, Ah Chen said, “I was slated to leave for the Sun Station. It is in Near Sun Orbit.”
“I’ve never heard of this station,” Marten said.
“Nor have I,” Osadar said.
“The Sun Station is new and experimental,” Ah Chen said. “Without going into the science of it, it represents the next great leap in battlefield technology. The Highborn are attempting to deploy giant reflectors very near the Sun. The reflectors will direct some of the Sun’s energy at a breakthrough focusing system many kilometers in diameter. It will act as a gargantuan lens. With enough reflectors, the Sunbeam can conceivably shoot at Mars.”
“The Sun already shoots its rays that far,” Marten said.
“The Sunbeam will shoot a coherent ray with vast killing power,” Ah Chen said.
“We could use that against the cyborgs,” Marten said.
Ah Chen nodded. “And after the cyborgs are gone, who will the Highborn use it against?”