The Last Revolution (42 page)

“Where is Alexander?” Richardson asked. “We need to get started.”

Alden shook his head. “I tried to save him, but he was killed by a Council agent, another Angele Dei…like me. Kira was also badly wounded; she’s in surgery now.”

Caleb pressed into the group. “What happened? Will she be okay?”

Alden put his hand on Caleb’s shoulder. “She’ll get through this, she’s very strong.” He turned to Stone. “General, what’s the next step?”

“Demetrius is dead. He took the EMP on his own. The military base wasn’t as unprepared as we had originally thought. They shot his ship down, but he was a tough soldier. Demetrius never gave up. He had enough time to set it off before a shot pierced the hull and killed him. Their facility was so heavily automated that some of the top officials are still locked in their chambers because the doors were fried.”

“What happened to Viktor?” Caleb asked.

“I don’t know. Once we started the attack, he disappeared along with a handful of his people. We were still able to secure the senate… but my absence cost us lives here.”

It was hard to think of Alexander’s lifeless body at the bottom of the canyon. When this was over he’d go recover it so they could hold a proper funeral.

“We lost several good people today, they will be missed,” Richardson responded solemnly.

“Some will be missed more than others,” Caleb said under his breath.

“Alden, did you get any indication from Alexander about what he was working on?” Stone asked.

“No, which was the reason Gabriel shot him. I’m not sure if Kira knows anything or not, but she hasn’t said anything to me. However, before Alexander died, he scribbled a message on the transport bulkhead. It was two conjoined circles, underneath it he scrawled
Primus knows
.”

“What’s Primus?” Richardson asked.

“The artificial intelligence Alexander and Nathan discovered on Europa,” Stone replied.

Richardson seemed intrigued. “Well then, where is it?”

“Wait, they found Primus on Europa?” Alden asked, bewildered. “You mean that was the meteorite that crashed from orbit?”

“Yes.”

So Alexander had been telling the truth. “Gabriel did something to Primus. It appeared to suck all the energy out of him. He was in the same ship as Alexander.” Alden pointed out the window. “I tried to rescue them but I was shot down by a pair of fighter jets.”

“We need to recover him. Primus may hold the key to the very survival of our civilization. We must know what Alexander had been working on,” Stone said.

“You mean you don’t know what it was either?” Alden asked. He looked at Caleb, “How about you?”

They both shook their head. “All he ever told me was that it was important and that I had to trust him. He never told me anything more than he had to.” Caleb responded, “I’ve been waiting years to ask him in person—” he trailed off.

“Richardson, are you there?”

The large senator held out his wrist deck and turned on the communicator. “Chandra, is that you?”

“Yes, sir. We’ve voted in the affirmative on the declaration of secession from the Three Nations.”

“Okay, thank you.” Richardson switched his communicator off. He looked up at the group, “It’s time. Call them.”

Moments later, three large holographic screens appeared on the giant wall of glass. Leaders from each of the Three Nations stood before them in full military regalia with a host of advisors and military personnel behind them.

“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Julius Ramos Richardson. I am the interim president of the lunar colonies. Due to your sustained and systematic repression of our human rights, government sanctioned killings, disappearances, torture and intimidation campaigns, along with a recent unprovoked attack on the lunar colonies against peaceful citizens with no means of defending themselves, we are declaring our independence from the Three Nations of Earth!

“The stability and long term viability of each of your nations depends on the lifeblood that we sacrifice to produce for you, helium-3. Here by my words and honor, I swear to you now, the first nation that recognizes our sovereignty will get every ounce of helium-3 that we produce, along with any new advances in science and technology. This includes vaccines and weapons. One of you has already attempted to make this deal with us by destroying the ADNV Testament as proof of your sincerity. We did not ask for, nor do we sanction, the murder of innocent people.

“As you make your decision, remember the amount you receive is barely enough to keep your economy, infrastructure and military functional. The first nation that recognizes our sovereignty and moves in to provide protection will receive
every
milligram of helium-3 that we produce. Think of everything you could do with total and complete control of all energy distributions from the lunar colonies. The choice is yours.” Richardson switched off the screens and the leaders disappeared.

“What do we do now?” Caleb asked.

“We wait,” Richardson responded.

“And pray,” Stone added.

“Do you think they’ll go for it?” Caleb asked.

“What does your gut tell you?” Richardson said.

“That it’s not a question of if…just who.”

“If they don’t go for it, I’ll prepare the men for war,” Alden said.

Stone smiled, but in the way you smile at your child who still doesn’t quite grasp the world around them. “I appreciate the motivation, but we wouldn’t last a week against the full onslaught of all three nations and the Council military.”

“Sir! There’s an incoming message,” one of Richardson’s assistants hollered.

“Which nation?” Richardson asked.

“The ADN. Mr. Senator, I mean, Mr. President. They’ve accepted our offer and have moved in to form a blockade against the other nations! We’ve just received the coordinates for where they want the H-3 shipments to go.”

Everyone remained quiet for several moments. “Is that good or bad?” Alden finally asked.

Richardson just looked away. “It’s complicated. I think that was the one we all feared would answer. They’ve always been very close to the Council. They even helped them create their first military.”

“This is a very dangerous situation we find ourselves in,” Stone added. “We may have just supplanted one dictator for another.”

Richardson’s aide spoke up once again, “I’ve just received the first reports of military action breaking out between the nations.”

“We did it, do you hear that, we’re free!”

People hollered and cheered on both levels.

“We finally did it, old friends,” Stone muttered.

The rest of the leaders shook hands with each other in congratulations.

“There are many things that must be done in anticipation of what will come next,” Stone said cryptically. “But not today, today we celebrate. Thank you.” He grasped Alden’s hand with strength and understanding. “Thank you.”

***

“Kalligan Vasentus, kneel before me,” Caliph Envitius said.

He dropped before him. They were inside a white hall and every Vice Councilman was in attendance, along with their entire staffs. The gigantic room was filled with people. “In appreciation of your hard work as the Polemarch for the Council, your unwavering support and belief in our mission, we appoint you through unanimous vote the new
Megas Archon
of the Council!”

Everyone in the room cheered. Caliph Envitius set a small golden crown upon his head, careful to avoid disturbing his white and gold porcelain mask.

Vasentus stood and walked up the steps. He took his place upon the Megas Archon’s throne. It had sat vacant since the destruction of the Testament. Vasentus allowed himself a rare smile as he turned and waved at the crowd there to witness his inauguration.

He cleared his throat. “Today is a solemn occasion for the people of Earth and the members of this mighty coalition. There is much work that has to be done. I will use my experiences as the Polemarch to work hard for a quick and sincere solution to the conflict that now envelops us all. We will return to our roots, build our strength of arms, and negotiate a new and lasting peace. Only in unity can we move forward. We will remake the world as it was!”

***

It was dark inside the atrium at the bottom of the canyon in Apollo City. Hundreds of people stood in a circle on multiple levels around the room. Alden wore a dark military uniform like the one Stone had worn when he’d laid out the plans for their independence. Only now they both had a few metals to decorate their chests and symbols on top of their shoulders. He was an official member, leader, of the Colonial Liberation Army.

Kira was at his side, her right arm securely tucked inside a sling. She’d pulled through the surgery without any complications. Caleb had made sure she’d received the best medical attention possible. Alden had spent countless hours beside her in the wake of everything that had happened. Her eyes were red, and tears streamed down both her cheeks.

She wasn’t the only one who had suffered in the wake of the riots. He’d reserved space for Thereon next to them, but he and his wife had chosen to remain home and mourn in their own way. They took Naiad’s death as hard as any parents would. Thereon hadn’t been the same. The empty void next to them only furthered the reminder that darkness was everywhere. No one was safe.

Stone, Richardson and Caleb all stood in solemn attendance next to each other. Richardson had taken to his new position with special care, and no one seemed to work harder than him. It had become his entire life mission to build a thriving democracy for the Colonies. Stone was hard at work building the foundation for their first real and functional military. His work required a tremendous amount of energy from Alden, but in all honesty he really didn’t mind getting back into the routine. It was a nice change of pace from the chaos that had enveloped his life over the past month.

Alden stared straight ahead. At the epicenter of the room from which everyone else radiated was a single lone casket. It was carved out of a dark wood. Words written in an old and beautiful language had been carved into the side with gold filigree. He smiled when he read the words.
When a distant assembly asserts their will with violence and irreverence, there can be only one logical outcome – revolution.
It was the same quote Father McKinley had scrawled into the book he’d given him so long ago.

The casket hovered ten meters off the ground. An anti-gravity pod kept it up in the air so that everyone could see it, no matter what level they were on. Small jets of fire appeared along the bottom ridges of the casket. It didn’t take long for the entire box to catch fire. The flames jumped up into the air above it. They danced to a chaotic pattern as they bid farewell to the legend, the enemy, the scientist, the adventurer, but most importantly, the man whose humble beginning had gone on to irrevocably change so many lives forever.

In that moment, as Alexander Hawkins departed them forever, Alden found that the weight of Father McKinley, Mary, Daniel and Gabriel went with him. For the first time in a long time, their memories brought back only happiness. He squeezed Kira’s hand to remind her that he was there. He would finish what Alexander and his father started. His people would have their freedom.

To Be Continued

Winter 2014

The Last Revolution:

Three Nations War

Glossary

Alliance of Democratic Nations (ADN)
– Federal republic that is primarily comprised of the former nations of Europa, North America, Central America, and Australia, among others.

Angele Dei
– Advanced military unit established by the Council at their elite Island military school.

Apollo City
– The first colony established on the lunar surface in 2029. Primary goal was to mine helium-3 and conduct scientific research.

battlecruiser
–Space-based warship with a battery of heavy caliber guns and the ability to deploy fixed wing spacecrafts.

Battle of Helsinki
– Territorial dispute in 2085 between the Alliance and Federation over the final oil reserves on Earth. Nearly started World War 3.

Helium-3 (H-3)
– Clean burning, non-radioactive helium isotope primarily found in the lunar regolith of the lunar surface. Used in nuclear fusion to power cities and battlecruisers.

Intersolar Enforcement and Pacification (IEP)
– Military unit established under the Alliance, but eventually handed over to the Council. Used for peace keeping and to protect the Three Nations Treaty.

Jindomas
– Former members of the Angele Dei program that serve as personal bodyguards to the Council members.