The Swarm (51 page)

Mazer grunted as Bingwen's foot connected with Mazer's side. Nothing broke, but Bingwen wasn't pulling any punches.

Mazer retreated and kicked out, which Bingwen easily dodged. Mazer gripped at his side, wincing a little, his mouth a thin hard line. Then the fourth attack came, and Bingwen upped his assault even further, which Mazer hadn't anticipated, and which he found pleasantly surprising. Whoever had trained him, had trained him exceptionally well.

Mazer knocked him down, but Bingwen was right back up again, not even pausing for breath. Again, Mazer knocked him down. Now, Bingwen, he wanted to say. Do it now.

Mazer repeated the same move, to knock Bingwen to the mat, but this time Bingwen anticipated the move and rolled to the side, spinning and ramming his elbow hard into Mazer's gut. Mazer buckled and dropped to his knees, gripping his stomach, then he lifted his head high enough to see Bingwen's foot right as it connected with the side of Mazer's face.

Mazer's head snapped to the side, and his whole body twisted and fell back to the mat. He tasted blood in his mouth. His lip was busted, his head was ringing. His jaw wasn't broken, but he'd have a facial bruise. He raised a hand meekly. “Yield.”

Colonel Li came over and offered him a hand. Mazer took it and slowly got to his feet, making no effort to wipe away the blood on his lip.

Colonel Li smiled. “What do you think of our army now, Captain?”

“I'd say I almost feel sorry for the Formics.” He opened his mouth, testing the flexibility of his jaw.

Colonel Li laughed. Bingwen was already standing at attention again, eyes forward like a robot.

Oh, Bingwen, Mazer thought. Is this what you've dealt with for three years? Is this what they've done to you?

“You're not going to beat anyone with fancy martial arts, though,” said Mazer. “All this hand-to-combat means nothing up here. Every one of those moves is based on gravity. And the moment we leave Luna's gravity well, everything these boys know about combat and maneuvering goes out the window. Zero G is a completely different experience.”

“That is why you are here, Captain,” said Li. “To train them. You will ready this army for war. Our destination is GravCamp, a space station positioned at one of Jupiter's Lagrange points. There you will teach them the essentials of zero G combat.”

“Who's going?” Mazer asked. “Just the group of us here?”

“TAG also includes four special forces units,” said Li. “Adults. Seasoned soldiers. They'll be joining us on the flight. We'll also have a workshop and representatives from Juke Limited and Gungsu to help prepare and repair equipment. It's going to be tight quarters. We leave at 0700. Bingwen, please show Captain Rackham to his bunk.”

“Yes, sir, Colonel Li, sir.”

“What about my belongings?” Mazer asked. “I wasn't aware that I'd be leaving so soon. I haven't packed anything.”

Li smiled. “This is the military, Captain. We always provide.”

Mazer didn't object. He couldn't.

“Follow me please, sir,” said Bingwen.

Bingwen led them to the far corner of the room to one of the bunks. A toiletry set and a uniform Mazer's size were waiting for him. Now that they were out of earshot, Mazer said. “I hope I didn't hit you too hard in the chest.”

“It was perfect,” Bingwen said. “Sorry about your lip.”

“It was perfect,” said Mazer. “You really rang my bell. How long has Li been your CO?”

“Since the moment I left you.”

Mazer's heart broke then. “I'm sorry, Bingwen. I should have been there for you. I had no idea.”

Bingwen shrugged. “Our e-mails were screened. I couldn't tell you how things really were. How's Kim?”

“She'll be thrilled to know I've seen you and she'll be irate to know you're here.”

“She can't know I'm here,” said Bingwen. “This whole operation is top secret. They'll censor every message you send her. Have you seen Victor's vids of the tunnels?”

“Many times,” said Mazer.

“What do you think is inside?”

“I have a few theories. But if I have a say in the matter, you won't be the one who finds out.”

Bingwen shook his head. “You don't understand Li. We're his ticket, Mazer. He's invested everything into this program. He has to validate it. He has to prove to CentCom that he was right all along. I assure you I'm going in.”

“You're not going in alone, Bing. I promise you that.”

“You can't defy him, Mazer. He'll destroy you. What you saw today, that was his pleasant side.”

“I'm sorry, Bingwen. I feel like this is my fault. I told you about the school. I encouraged you to go. I thought it would provide opportunities, a future, safety. I had no idea it would be this.”

“My situation isn't your fault, Mazer. I've learned a lot. Li, as difficult and coarse as he is, has taught me more than you know. He has tried relentlessly to make me the kind of soldier he wants me to be, but so far I've been carefully resistant. He believes we should think and act like him to be effective, which is to say without compassion and mercy.”

“He's wrong, Bingwen. He couldn't be more wrong. We're not barbarians. We're soldiers. There's a difference.”

“You don't have to tell me, Mazer. I learned that from you long before Li came along.”

Mazer smiled. “It's good to see you again, Bing. I can't believe how big you are.”

Bingwen smiled. “Remember when I asked you to come with me to the school? I wanted you to teach there. Guess I got my wish after all.”

“Wipe that grin off your face, soldier. Tomorrow your
real
school begins.”

 

CHAPTER 23

Tubes

To: imala.bootstamp%[email protected]/fleetcom/gagak

From: shongwe%[email protected]/kuiperbelt

Subject: New orders

Captain Bootstamp,

Your orders are to fly the Gagak immediately to the coordinates indicated in the attached file, where you will receive further instructions. The IF is taking steps to remove your family from danger. Please reassure them that their safety is our primary concern.

Sincerely,

Rear Admiral Shongwe

Victor hovered at the holotable at the helm, reading over the message a second time. He chuckled to himself and turned to Imala, Mother, and Arjuna. “Our safety is their primary concern? As of when? Does anyone else find that painfully amusing?”

“Notice who wrote the orders,” said Imala. “Or rather, who didn't write them. Ketkar the Polemarch resigned, or was forced to. This guy, Shongwe, is one of the territory commanders out here in the Kuiper Belt. I think this is a shift not only in command, but also in policy. I suspect the Polemarch took heat for putting us in jeopardy.”

“If it's a change in policy, it's a minor one,” said Mother. “They're still giving us orders as if the ship is their own. Nor did they return the captainship to Arjuna. They haven't cut us loose yet. So they're pretending to distance themselves from the Polemarch's policies without really abandoning them.”

“I'm not sad to see the Polemarch go,” said Arjuna. “I didn't like the man.”

“I'm not shedding any tears either,” said Mother.

“So where are they sending us?” Victor asked. “What's at these coordinates?”

“An IF outpost,” said Mother. “Four months away. What's interesting, though, is its position.” She waved her hand through the holofield and brought up the starchart. “We're not going inward. We're going outward, deeper into the Kuiper Belt, which doesn't make any sense to me. If they're taking steps to remove us from danger, you would think that would mean sending us inward toward the Belt or one of the stations at Jupiter.”

“Why send us to an outpost?” Victor asked. “If they want to remove us from danger, why not simply leave us alone? Stop sending us on missions.”

“They clearly have something else in mind for us,” said Mother. “It says we'll receive further instructions at the outpost.”

“I don't like it,” Arjuna said. “They say they have plans, but they don't reveal what those are. The only reason they would withhold information is if they knew we would find it disagreeable.”

“We should go back in that asteroid and see where those tunnels lead,” said Victor. “That's more important than us going to an outpost.”

Imala shook her head. “Nobody is going back to that asteroid. Even if the IF were to give us that order, we're not doing it. We held a council. We decided. We do nothing to endanger this family again.”

“There is no danger,” said Victor. “Or there shouldn't be. The hole I made with the ship was too large to repair. The atmosphere was sucked out. Any living creature inside died of asphyxiation. The tunnels are a vacuum now. We should be free to explore.”

“There weren't any tunnels big enough for you, Vico,” said Arjuna. “Even the one you squeezed into eventually splintered into smaller tunnels. It only went so deep.”

“We didn't explore the whole asteroid,” said Victor. “We might find a way in.”

“That's not an option,” said Imala. “We've moved on. It's out of our hands now.”

Victor didn't argue the point further. Imala was still angry with him for going inside the cocoon, and he would only aggravate the tension between them if he didn't let it go. “So what should we do?” he asked. “Go or ignore the orders?”

“We can't ignore them,” said Mother. “You and Imala are members of the Fleet. If we disobey, there could be repercussions for the both of you. Nobody wants that. And technically the ship is still in IF hands. If we bolt, we could all be in trouble. It might be a weak legal case against us, but we shouldn't take that chance. Our best bet is to believe that the IF has our well-being in mind. And anyway, we need supplies.”

The others exchanged looks. “No objection from me,” said Imala. “I agree with Rena.”

Arjuna frowned. “Rena's right. We don't have a choice. I don't like being in that position, but that's the position we're in.”

“Will you please take the captainship now?” Imala asked Arjuna. “With the Polemarch gone, I think we can get away with making a change here. It's best for the crew. They will feel much more at ease about this uncertain move if you're leading.”

“No, they won't,” said Arjuna. “You may not want to admit it, Imala, but you're a good captain. No, let me finish. You're a peacemaker, which is what this crew needs right now. Anyone can stand up here and relay orders. But it takes someone with your gift for negotiation to keep everyone feeling at ease and valued. That's crucial right now. Besides, I don't think we should do anything to disrupt what the IF has ordered. Once we reach the outpost, we can make the case for a change, but I suspect that will happen organically anyway. You and Victor are in the IF now. They'll likely send you elsewhere.”

“You're both excellent captains,” said Mother. “But what the family needs right now is consistency and unity. If we give the captainship back to Arjuna some people will see it as a division among us. That leads to whisperings and mistrust and people taking sides. We should avoid that. Imala, you should remain as captain. Everyone supports you at the moment. And you never make a decision without consulting with Arjuna anyway. I know you don't like the position, but I think it's best if everyone stays where they are for now.”

“I agree,” said Victor.

Imala considered for a moment then nodded. “All right. Let's gather the crew and read them the orders. I'd appreciate each of you sharing your thoughts during the council before we take a vote.”

They gathered the crew. There were a few people who thought they should break all ties with the IF and ignore the orders, but the vast majority listened to wisdom, and in the end the vote was in favor of heading for the outpost. A few hours later, once all arrangements had been made, they accelerated toward the coordinates.

When they finally reached a cruising speed, and it was safe to get up and move around again, Victor headed for the cargo bay where the Formic miniship was now anchored to the floor. He had hit the miniship with short-wavelength ultraviolet radiation a few days ago while it was still outside to kill off any microorganisms or bacteria clinging to its surface. Then he had sliced off the thrusters, left them adrift, and brought the small remaining piece, the cabin, into the cargo bay. Victor and Magoosa had gone over it with other chemical disinfectants since then, and now the whole room smelled like scented cleaner. Victor had received his fair share of complaints from the crew—the smell was so strong—but he thought it important that the IF get their hands on the ship.

He floated into the Formic cabin and imagined the five Formics inside it, tending to the mining slugs, piloting the ship, going about their day, doing their duty. How long had they lived in this cramped environment? A year? Two? The worms must have provided some food, otherwise where were the rooms to hold all the food storage? There was the issue of fuel, but Victor had concluded that they had landed on comets on their way in and mined any ice they found.

“Knock knock.”

He turned and saw Imala hovering in the doorway of the miniship. He had apologized a dozen times to her since the incident with the asteroid, but still there was an uneasiness between them that Victor didn't know how to reconcile.

“Is this where you come to meditate now?” Imala asked.

“You could call it that,” said Victor, “although I don't know what good it does. It's all speculation now. What I can't figure out is how they could travel so far and carry so little. There is barely room in here for a crew, much less for supplies. There was the big tank I cut away with the thrusters, but that must have carried fuel.”