When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars) (83 page)

             
“Wait
,”
Cameron said
.“
Burton
?
”

             
At this, Jerry took a moment to adjust the bunched-up jacket behind his back. He gritted his teeth at the wave of pain and nausea that followed
.“
Yes, son. Zacharia Burton. Better known to the public as Professor Zach Burton, father of the current High Chancellor
.
”

-                           
IX                            -

              The room was
n’
t just dark, it was pitch black. At first h
e’
d thought the
y’
d left the bag over his head, but as his senses returned he could tell that was
n’
t the case. A slight breeze passing over his ankle reassured him that at least air was flowing, but no light penetrated that abysmal darkness. Alexander Burton, the most powerful political figure in human history, was cut off and completely alone.

             
Arthur had
n’
t touched him once the
y’
d boarded the escape pod. Save from tying his hands and placing a black hood over the High Chancello
r’
s head, Arthur had been a rather pleasant captor. He rationed the small supply of food so Alexander never felt too hungry, and was quick to bring a small sip of water whenever Alexander felt parched. It was more than a little unnerving, his attentive aid
e’
s constant presence. But that was
n’
t the frightening part of the journey. It was never knowing where they were headed, what fate awaited at their destination. Alexander had a vivid imagination and played each scenario over and over again.

             
Mostly h
e’
d thought about a quick end. The hood would be yanked off to blinding light, probably a set for the cameras. His captor would give a quick speech and Alexande
r’
s last sight would be the barrel of a gun inches from his face. Or, if they were less comfortable with taking life, he would stare into the eye of a camera and feel the cool metal on the back of his head. Either way, it would be swift. If they were less compassionate, he might get a rope or an axe. Jonah had always been fond of blades. Maybe the
y’
d just take him somewhere high up and kick him off the side. That would
n’
t be so bad.

             
But sitting in his cell, surrounding by a hollow silence and completely cut off from his senses, his mind had found new and horrifying ways to die. Each one elaborate and dragged out, squeezing every drop of pain imaginable before finally allowing his withered husk of a shell to fail.

             
Sudden blinding white light spilled into the room, engulfing the politician. He shut his eyes, but stars danced in front of him. He felt strong hands grab his arms and hoist him up, dragging him from the cell. Alexander struggled to put his feet underneath him, but the men on either side marched too quickly. His shoes had been removed and he felt soft but firm carpet on his toes. Doors opened and closed quickly on either side, and the rabble of voices dissolved into one indiscernible mess.

             
They turned down one corridor, then another and another. The journey seemed to take forever, though in reality could have only been a few minutes. When Alexander was finally able to open his eyes, they were already in the last room. The space was immense, but filled with equipment Alexander knew all too well. In fact, in just the few seconds he had to look around, the High Chancellor knew exactly where he was. H
e’
d been in this room, in this building, hundreds of times over the course of his career. Every politician wh
o’
d ever served had been seated where he was now, staring at a line of cameras and monitors with a digital display of downtown at his back.              

             
This was the Galactic News building, and he was in the main studio. Alexander almost smiled as his captor walked into the room. Not Arthur, no, he was just the facilitator of the kidnapping. This man walked with more swagger, despite a slight limp in his right leg. His face was warm and beaming as he pulled a chair from behind the anchor desk and sat down facing the politician. Jonah looked at Alexander with his ocean blue eyes, smiling without humor.

             
“Hello, Alec
.
”

             
The politician grinned
.“
Jonah. I
t’
s been a long time
.”
Alexander looked around the room
.“
If you wanted an interview, you only had to phone my press agent
.
”

             
“I did
,”
Jonah said, motioning to Arthur standing in the corner
.“
Thankfully he was able to bypass your schedule. This meeting could
n’
t wait any longer. I do
n’
t know if yo
u’
re aware, but the situation facing our species has become somewhat dire
.
”

             
Alexander scoffed
.“
What do you think yo
u’
re going get from this? Killing me does
n’
t change a thing. Yo
u’
re still just a small-time thug holed up in a tower
.
”

             
“Tha
t’
s where yo
u’
re wrong, Alexander. You know the adage about the cat being away? W
e’
ve grown fat off your absence
.”
Jonah stood, pacing a slow circle around the High Chancellor
.“
New York did
n’
t accept us at first, but Kerrigan managed to bring most of the Americas under our control. The other countries followed, one by one, until our power overwhelmed Flee
t’
s control of Earth. It seems like the people of this planet are sick and tired of being lorded over by a group of old men in Vienna
.
”

             
Alexander glared, his eyes burning
.“
You think the
y’
ll so happily trade in the Federate for your sick new government
?
”

             
“No
,”
Jonah said
.“
I expect they wo
n’
t even notice a change. W
e’
re not reinventing the wheel, Alexander. The Hammer is
n’
t going to break down the system, just reinforce it. In five years, they wo
n’
t care that we took control by strength of arms. In ten years, they might not even remember how it all happened. In thirty years, the history books will all be written to support our actions
.
”             

             
The politician had to admit, human nature was on Jona
h’
s side. Even the most horrific events lost their power when transmitted over great time or distances. During the Mars War, Colorum had chosen to stand completely neutral, despite being a major trade partner for the red planet. The pain from the initial attack on New York would vanish as the families of the victims grew older. Already the city had moved on to more important stories, only recalling the bombings as part of an ongoing human interest piece, and Jona
h’
s saturation of the media with pro-Red Hammer rhetoric had only helped to bury any opposition he may have faced.

             
Alexander had watched the drama unfold while buffered by several million lightyears aboard the
Imperion
. The Unified Russian-Chinese Republic had thrown in its hat with the rebels weeks after the incident in the Big Apple. Europe had
n’
t clung on much longer, and the African sprawl knew Kerrigan from his relationship with many of their more popular dictators. Admiral Gilroy had always regarded the Hammer as a group of thugs and brutes without the wherewithal to pull off more than a terrorist bombing. Alexander had known better. The coordinated attacks around Earth had been surgical, destabilizing regimes that the Hammer had whittled down to mere husks of their former selves. Though they had no way to suspect at the time, the planet had been lost long before the fight had even started. The High Chancellor shook his head.
Gilroy is dead
, he thought.
Along with most of the people you called friends. Donald and Jerry. Councillors Weller and Karamsha. Even that poor pilot.

             
Jonah motioned to one of his soldiers and Alexander was hoisted to his feet. The bonds tying his hands fell away, and he rubbed his wrists to ease the tingling and burning left from the rope. A firm palm came down on his shoulder and pushed him forward to follow after Jonah. They walked out of the studio and down the hall, up several flights of stairs and into a beautifully designed elevator. At the top floor, the doors opened to Jona
h’
s office, the study of the former CEO. Jonah sat down next to a gorgeous marble chess set, gesturing for Alexander to sit in the opposing chair.

             
The High Chancellor resigned himself to the situation and eased into the cushioned seat. He admired the ornate oak board between him and the terrorist leader. Each hand-sculpted figure was a work of art, but something was off. The characters were not arranged in a starting position. It looked as though they were sitting down to a game already in progress. As Alexander surveyed the arrangement, a realization dawned. Jonah smiled from across the set, waving away all of his guards. One, a particularly brutish man, held back by the door.

             
“Is there anything else, Vic
?”
Jonah asked.

             
Victor scowled, leaving his comment unsaid as he turned and left the room, closing the door.

             
Alexander looked at his pieces on the board, then up at Jonah. The whole scene felt like a dream, surreal and unnatural
.“
So, now what
?
”

             
“We have some time to kill, Alexander. I think you remember where we started this. I
t’
s about time we finished
.
”

-                           
X                            -

              Timothy knew help was
n’
t coming. He could hear the sounds of war just over the hill, and every explosion sent up a column of smoke visible for miles around. H
e’
d taken his daughter to the roof once the dust had settled so they could see the rescue coming. When the orbital strike broke the morning silence, he decided they had to find their own way out.

             
The
y’
d found a radio a few days earlier and used it to listen for news of safe zones or any helpful information. No luck so far. Timothy had been content to move a few buildings every night, but now he saw there was no time. Alien transports flew low over the city, firing at anything that moved. Father and daughter had been lucky, heading inside just as the invading force moved in. There were still infected creatures loitering in the streets and they gave chase, leaping off balconies to latch onto passing shuttles. Crashing ships started fires that raged out of control, consuming whole city blocks.

             
“Are you ready
?”
Timothy asked.

             
Mary took a sip from her thermos. Cartoon characters covered the outside, but it was the only thing child-like about her. Timoth
y’
s daughter had become so serious in the last week. She had adjusted much better than any adult he knew
.“I’
m ready, Dad
.
”

             
He kept his hand over the doorknob to the rear exit, hoping the tremors in his fingers were from the constant explosions. After a short count he twisted the knob and opened the door. All was calm in the back alley. He checked each direction and took a tentative step outside. Turning to his daughter, he nodded
.“
Le
t’
s go
.
”

-                           
XI                            -

              The gliders opened without a hitch. Josh and his team soared in slowly winding circles, keeping the smoldering carrier in sight. Wind blew up in gusts from the flames below. More than once, an Archangel lost control and spiraled down a few hundred feet before regaining control. The rain did
n’
t help, and the stretched fabric of the wings often lost its grip and slipped out of place. Each time, the soldier had to manually pull the wings back in and redeploy in free fall. It made the journey take half the time, Josh had to concede.