right thing had been done and the honour of the Solaran people was maintained. After thanking as many of his ministers and members of his party as was humanly possible for supporting and lobbying on his behalf, he made his way back to the Prime Minister’s residence accompanied by Kronos and Commander Vadoran.
Yes, the time for talking politics was now over and the time for action was almost at hand. In just a matter of hours, the attempt to break the Transdamping barrier would be made. It was none too soon, as Commander Vadoran informed the Prime Minister that the Hellertrons had declared martial law throughout the remainder of their territories, including the capital planet of Rueatarn. A dusk to dawn curfew had been imposed to try and stop panic breaking out and the police and army had been ordered to shoot to kill looters on sight. The regular Hellertron army was still doing its duty and fighting well but not so the younger conscripts who in many cases were now starting to throw down their weapons and run. The Hellertron military police had just been given new battlefield powers to deal with them whereas, before, they would arrest deserters and then deliver them to the military courts to be dealt with. Now they were ordered to administer on the spot Court Martials if deserters refused to get back into the front line, the consequences of which could lead to on-the-spot executions, especially for the ringleaders. In Commander Vadoran’s opinion, the Hellertrons were starting to show the first signs of disintegration. It was imperative to get things moving that night.
Sixteen
Back at the training facility, Freema and I were starting to wind down. She had worked wonders considering the material she had to work with, meaning me. Everything that could be done in the limited amount of time available had been done. We could ask no more. The mood had certainly changed from deep pessimism to mild optimism as Freema turned all the equipment off. For security purposes, she even wiped the videos of me going through my paces that Commander Vadoran and Kronos had been viewing to assess my progress.
“Will you miss the place, John?” she asked.
“I will certainly never forget it,” I replied, taking one last look at the holographic target range, thinking to myself, you slippery, shadowy, silver men who got the better of me, making a fool out of me more often than not. What shame you brought on me. But now the tables are turned. For you are now the ones who live in fear of me as I mow you down, one by one, with increasing regularity. Your day has passed and mine has now come. You slippery, shadowy, silver men. Never to be seen again.
“Lights off,” Freema said as she sealed the complex with her security pass and then accompanied me back to my quarters for the last time.
Meanwhile, on Tyros at the top secret weapons proving ground at Intersborn in the sparsely populated province of East Karelia, a group of high-ranking Kayton officers were gathered to evaluate the results of the testing of the new cascade weapon. Wesker was present as it was his scientific corps that had developed the new secret weapon. He represented their interests and could give answers to specific technical and operational data. From an observation pill box a safe distance away, they could see a herd of horses grazing in the field below. Wesker then gave the order to fire an artillery shell which exploded well above the heads of the horses. On detonation, the noise spooked the horses and they all immediately bolted in every direction, driven by sheer panic. What rained down on the horses thereafter were best described as yellow spheres, the size of marbles. They did not just fall randomly; they actually zeroed in on their target. On contact with the horses, the spheres literally and instantaneously dissolved them into no more than a pile of ashes. All the Kayton officers were very impressed.
The highest ranking General said, “Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic! Wesker, you have surpassed yourself. How long before it can be brought into quantity production for battlefield use?”
“We can tool up new factories,” Wesker replied, “in four to six weeks. There’s no shortage of labour now with all the Hellertron civilians that are now falling into our hands as our relentless advance continues. I would also like to point out that it can be programmed not to attack our forces in a confused battlefield situation. In effect, it will only latch on to certain ethnic groups whether it be Hellertron Solaran or the resistance fighters on occupied planets like Tau Seti, which are giving our forces so much trouble. Also, it can penetrate obstacles many meters thick, like armour, to seek out and destroy its target.”
“Excellent,” the General said, “but instead of using it in a piecemeal way, which would alert the Solarans and give them time to develop a counter measure, I want the shells stock-piled to use in one huge strategical offensive on every battle front simultaneously for maximum effect. We should then be able to break the Solaran lines once and for all, forcing them into a non-stop retreat and bringing them to the negotiating table and so ending the war. Commence full production as soon as possible. I want six hundred million airburst shells by May. My people will be in touch with yours tomorrow to finalise details. I will personally inform the Supreme Council of your excellent work in this matter.”
“Thank you,” General Wesker replied. “It will be done.”
They all began to disperse and make their respective ways back to the Citadel on Transports provided for them by the military.
On reaching my quarters back on Sontral, I invited Freema to join me for a farewell drink before I departed in a few hours’ time. She thought I would want to be on my own to reflect and prepare but I said I would appreciate her company, at least for a while.
“How do you really feel, John?” Freema asked. “If you want, I can have a word with Commander Vadoran to try and get the mission postponed for a few days to give you more time to train and prepare? I’m sure it would improve your chances of success.”
Privately, sometimes I didn’t know how I found the inner strength to go on, but I wasn’t going to tell Freema that. As for postponing the mission, well that was a definite non-starter considering Earth’s precarious position on the receiving end of a Kayton battle squadron in about a day and a half’s time.
“I feel I am as ready as I am ever going to be,” I told her. “To delay any longer would not make any difference to the overall outcome of the mission one way or another. But Freema, do not be sad. I have to go. I will be back before you know it. To be together forever more… if that be what you desire once more… never to be parted, never to be sad… free to drive each other mad.”
Freema laughed. “You silly boy. What I’m I going to do with you?”
“Where I come from,” I replied, “a man gets one last request before going on a dangerous mission. I would like a dance before we part company.”
“Of course, John.”
As we both rose to our feet and came together, I instructed Kev to play my number one song of all time, Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues from 1967. I’m afraid my hands slipped down just a little bit too low for Freema’s liking and she immediately raised them to a more respectable level. Well, you can’t blame a guy for trying… I’m only human.
As the song came to its climacteric conclusion, I gazed into Freema’s eyes and repeated the lyrics that were being sung. I also said, “I love you.”
Freema lowered her eyes. “I think I had better go now.”
She turned away and silently made her way out of my quarters, leaving me standing there on my own as the song came to its inevitable end. I stared straight ahead at the wall in complete silence for what seemed like an eternity.
After a while I said to Kev, “Did other people on Earth handle you before me? And if so, why did you choose me to be the Guardian and not them?”
“Yes, John,” Kev replied. “Many people have handled me over the ages but I chose you over them because you are a good person and they were not.”
“Well, that’s a joke,” I said, “considering some of the things I have been up to over the last few months.”
“I know, but I always knew you were a good person who would, in the end, do the right thing.”
“If anything happens to me and I don’t make it back, what happens to you?”
“If you die, John, I will also cease to exist.”
After a few more moments of silence I made up my mind. “Take me to my parents’ grave. It might be the last time I see them, or Earth.”
“Of course, John.”
Almost immediately, I was Transported to Earth.
Back on Sontral, Freema had just joined the Prime Minister, Commander Vadoran and Kronos. All three were in feverish discussions about the current war situation and the imminent attempt to break the Transdamping barrier which was only a matter of hours away.
“Hello Freema,” the Prime Minister said. “Is John ready to go? Everything is now set in motion for tonight.”
“Mister Prime Minister,” Freema replied, “I would like you to postpone the attempt even if it’s only for a few days. I am convinced the extra time in training would make all the difference and increase the chances of success immeasurably.”
“I’m sorry, Freema. Everything is now set in motion and far too advanced for it to be changed. We go tonight, come hell or high water—”
Commander Vadoran interrupted. “Can he use the rifle properly? And is he able to handle the explosives and place them as