BC leaves the governor's office and heads for his rooms to rest.
It won't be easy to sleep with those UIN ships just hanging out there. Well, at least I've got Edwards starting to think our way... gave him a lot of food for thought. Let him chew on that all night. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing... I've planted some dangerous seeds. Let's see if they take root.
Back in his rooms, BC reviews the file on Daniel McEntyre. You sir, are scum. No matter whose side you're on. Ah, fuck this for now.
He lies down with the lights off, tired, and tries to sleep.
I really don't like the idea of those UIN ships out there. I wouldn't put a surprise, sneak attack past them. There's probably a target on my back, if McEntyre's any indication of UIN suspicions. Sure was handy knowing about McEntyre's little flings. One of our men took that girl's tearful confession, and now I've used her just like McEntyre did. I think I feel like I should feel worse. But, you know, I don't want to think a lot about what I feel. I don't want to think about it so much, I just want to sleep, just turn it off... gotta try to get some sleep...
BC tosses and turns through a restless night. He rises early to get ready to face Daniel McEntyre again, this time at his wife's funeral.
Hope he's all doped up. I know, not so Christian of me, sorry. The guy bothers me. Good thing the church never took that love your enemies thing too seriously. I suppose if they did I wouldn't have a job...
Most of the representatives and dignitaries on Luna from Mars and Earth, and several orbital concerns, wait in the governor's reception hall for the funeral. BC surveys the crowd as he makes his way to his seat. The crowd looks almost the same as the one yesterday morning, but the mood, the dress and the whole general atmosphere is darker, subdued, more hopeless.
And most of the UIN reps are no longer here. Those who gathered for peace just a day earlier now gather to bury the embodiment of that hope for peace, and most likely any hope left with her.
Still, it had to be done. Otherwise the war would have gone the wrong way. The other way. She provided only false hope, or hope for the UIN, I suppose.
Space in the reception hall is at a premium, so the general public cannot attend, but several recorders carry the funeral live to millions on the Moon, in orbit, back on Earth, and maybe even on Mars. BC is privileged to attend beside the Cardinal. They watch as Edwards officiates a short ceremony, followed by a clearly drugged Daniel McEntyre being assisted by an LSC...
That Nita woman again.
...as he takes the cylinder containing his wife's ashes over to the emergency airlock built into the reception room. Its alarms have been silenced for the occasion. He opens the inner door, places the ashes inside, then closes the door again and cycles shut the airlock. An LSC Officer out on the surface of the moon opens the airlock from the outside, removes the cylinder and, closing the airlock behind him, turns to bound across the surface to a launcher of some kind set up on the surface and pointing out into deep space. The LSC drops the cylinder in, and then bounds back to the airlock.
Daniel McEntyre is directed to the launch switch, presses it, and sends his wife's ashes off into the stars.
There are poems and music, but they all wash over BC. He's studying the people, especially Daniel McEntyre.
Edwards must have him on some hard stuff. Looks like we do win this one. Still depends on what they plan on using those ships out there for.
Edwards seems nervous.
I worry about Edwards. He's not holding up so well. Not as hard as he'd like to seem.
After the funeral, Edwards calls BC aside.
"Father! Father Campion!"
"Good morning, governor. Not too much good about it, though, I suppose."
"No. A sad day. Daniel was still not doing so well this morning, so he's still under medical supervision."
So I noticed...
"Do you have a few minutes? I'd like to talk to you in my office."
BC and the governor go into the governor's office. Edwards reassures him right off.
"The ships are still holding the same position. That's not what I want to talk about."
"Okay."
"I contacted the UIN after you and I spoke last night."
"Really. Was that wise?"
"Hell, I don't know. Figured it was worth a try. No offense to you."
"Don't worry about it."
"Anyway, I contacted them to demand justice, an explanation, or a denial over all this. I thought they deserved a chance to answer officially to all this."
"I guess you had to. What did they say?"
"That's what's strange. They didn't say much of anything, really. They just about blew me off. We're talking a major assassination here, and they seemed, I don't know, almost distracted."
"That is odd."
"They almost seemed like they were too busy to bother to answer. Just said their diplomatic office would send a reply shortly, thanks, bye."
"That's not a good sign, Mr. Edwards. Governor Edwards."
A low muffled boom shakes the room like a maraca.
"Neither is that!"
The com starts shouting.
"Governor, we are under attack! The UIN ships are spreading apart and firing at us!"
Edwards responds to the com, barking instructions.
"Mount a counter offensive! Activate all defensive batteries. All Lunar Security to duty posts now! Order all residents in the direct path of the attack into shelters. Inform all others not to panic. Let them know that only those in the path of the assault are getting into the shelters right now. Got that?"
"Yes, sir."
Time to bring it home.
"I guess they've just been waiting to attack. They were too busy getting ready for the assault to even talk to you. Nice folks. At least they waited until after the funeral."
"Hard to know who your friends are these days, Father. Don't start thinking I trust you yet, either. You have been helpful, though, I'll give you that. Look, I've got to get to my command center. I'd like you to join me."
"Sure. I'd be honored to. But I've got to check on the staff of the Vatican Mission first. I want to be sure no one plays hero for no good reason, make sure everyone gets to the shelters. Then I'll join you."
"I'll make sure they clear you through. Thanks."
BC heads back to the Vatican Mission. He does send the stragglers he finds down to the shelter level, but then continues on his own way. Muffled booms followed by rough shaking continue sporadically.
The section is just about empty when BC gets back to his room. He locks the door. He reaches over to the air vent in the wall and works his fingers under the vent cover. He pops it off and pulls out his CCU, the OPO standard-issue Covert Communications Unit, the small box that lets him stay in touch with those back home. Time to finally contact HQ, Vatican City, the actual Office of Papal Operations. He unfolds the CCU and it hums to life.
"Come on."
Something's wrong. The instalink isn't snapping on. The screen keeps flickering, lighting up and going out, trying to connect and disconnecting.
BC tries audio only, "Jove, Diana here, are we good? Keep sending tha..."
"Diana, this is Jove, we are under attack, I repeat, we are under direct attack. Try again later, Jove out." The screen blanks out one last time. Another serious vibration shakes the room.
The UIN has hit some church targets but never Vatican City itself. I can't believe they're hitting the old city! Do they know We iced McEntyre, or just suspect it? They had to have already been ready to go with this assault before we took her out, though, if they're here now. This could just be the UIN trying to expand the war.
The room's com unit comes on.
"Father Campion?"
Shit! It's Edwards.
"Yes, Governor?"
"Could you join me at the command center ASAP? Five minutes?"
"Sure. Just getting the last stragglers into the shelter. Be right there."
Another boom and vibration toss BC to the floor.
He gets up, dusts himself off and starts to head out of his rooms.
They're targeting this section! Good time to leave! I've got to try the Vatican again, later, though. This is new UIN behavior. New and different. That always bothers me.
Chapter Seven