Colonists - Leader, part 1

SOL SYSTEM

April 2, 2178 AD

Earth, undisclosed location in old China

Earth Command Briefing

Ying Oum stood beside her military contemporary, Ilarion Chuvnik, who wore his sharp black and gold dress uniform. She was a civilian and had always felt dressed down when in a formal meeting with Ilarion. This time was no different except that the Pacific-Asia Cooperative had informed her that the Allied Western Defense Initiative’s council would be present as well for this meeting. It was unnerving. She had been born after the Final War and the Economica Collapse yet still had the suspicion of the AWDI nations – especially the old United States – drilled into her by her parents and very aged grandmother.

Ilarion had been her direct aide and security advisor since she had graduated China’s premier political and corporate leadership school. His quiet, intense, brooding and measured anger had been a magnet for her similar personality. She was outgoing, intense, brooding and had her own measure of anger as well. Though, truth be told, his anger could borderline on blind rage. Where she was more of a pit viper and waited on her prey to draw close to pounce, Ilarion was more like the Russian brown bear. When he struck his power was overwhelming and destructive.

Ilarion was the product of a defunct European system. The man had been displaced into Russia where he was recruited for private security for the reborn Czar of the now defunct Russian Federation. A nation that was born again after the 21st century Russia merged with the Northern Federation and then was remade into the new Russian Federation. When it collapsed, after China agreed to leave Japan to the UNAP, the European and United North American Protectorates surrendered control of western Russia to China. He then found employ under the command of an Indian Colonel that reported to the PAC council. Now he reported to her, after some clever political maneuvering on her part.

Ying checked her tablet’s time again just as it changed over to 13:15 local time. And exactly at that moment the PAC council appeared on the wall display before her, each occupying a square with six squares in total. There she bowed, Ilarion doing the same, a respectful distance. She knew from her past experience she was never to speak first to these elders: they were China’s wisest and most revered leaders. They were almost deities in themselves, though she knew better.

Qiang-Nan, the Minister of Food, spoke first with a weathered yet still not tired voice, “Advisor Ying, it is agreeable to see you. As is your security advisor.”

Ying and Ilarion bowed in supplication, she spoke for them both, “The great Pan-Asia Cooperative Council are the ones who do us great honor. We are filled by your greatness.”

“It is greatness for which we come to speak,” the Minister of Extra-Solar Space – Mingmei – interrupted. It was a rude and disrespectful thing to do. Yet Ying could tell there was something yet unspoken bothering her leadership. Perhaps it was the impending inclusion of the AWDI council that bothered them. “We have come to use you as our great leader on a new world, on a new expedition.”

Ying almost – almost – jerked back at the idea. The term “expedition” was not used for anything relating to Earth. Jobs here were “tasks” or “projects” or “objectives” or some other term. An expedition meant something off-world. And most likely outside the Sol star system. Ying had a sinking feeling. Despite this she replied correctly without hesitation, “Any requirement I will fulfill.”

“This may be the most challenging of them all,” Minister Mingmei stated, “and it will also be the greatest, if it is successful.” Mingmei was much younger than Qiang-Nan but older than Ying. Her bearing was almost military but she lacked the clipped movements and efficiency that professional killers had. Not that there were many professional killers left on Earth; they were all off throwing themselves against the unending wave of the Kamikaze. “Advisor Ying you will are being selected as the leader of a great new expedition to colonize a new world. It is called ‘Nile.’”

Ying’s heart really did fall out of her chest into her stomach. She never wanted to leave Earth. Her sole purpose was to serve the PAC- serve China and her people. Here. Not at some cursed rock that would be a target for the Kamikaze onslaught. Have I made an enemy? Have I upset the wrong political adversary? Her mind raced thinking of who would have the gall to subvert her brilliant work in feeding and organizing the people of China.

“We are now bringing on our AWDI partners,” Mingmei stated. As she finished her sentence six additional windows showed up. Followed by six more, then six more. Ying had spoken with the PAC Council’s six members many times. She even knew that there were six members on the AWDI council. But the remaining twelve she slowing began to piece together: they were leaders from various states around the world. The UNAP Co-Presidents, the Japanese Emperor, the Chinese President, Europe’s three Prime Ministers, the Union of South American Nations’ President and more.

“What you see here,” Qiang-Nan started to explain, “Is something few people truly grasp and understand. You know, as it is very public knowledge at this point, that the allied human fleets are directed by Earth Command to fight the Kamikaze threat. What you do not know is that Earth Command is truly organized under the leadership of every major human power. We have no secrets and no hidden agenda, except from that of the alien menace.”

Ying nodded. She could tell Ilarion hadn’t flinched in the least – a testament to his self-control. “I understand, Minister. Am I to assume I will be operating under Earth Command authority?”

Qiang-Nan nodded slowly, “In a sense, yes; in a very broad sense.”

Ying’s attention was diverted to a male American, whose video box lighted with a green square to indicate that was the person to whom she should be looking. The man spoke directly after a too-shallow to be respectful bow, “Hello Advisor Ying Oum, I am Secretary Florence. I’d like to know what your knowledge regarding the Kamikaze is.”

The man’s words were translated across the bottom of his image to her native Chinese, but she was perfectly fluent in English and needed no assistance, “From my understanding the alien menace attacks human-settled worlds. They have made no demands, they give no quarter and throw themselves at the bulwark of our might with full abandon. It seems they care not for losses and desire to exterminate any system humans have settled.”

Florence nodded, “Correct. Did you know that they don’t actually destroy human-occupied systems? Only human-occupied worlds?”

This Ying did not know. She had been under the assumption that their foe had made sure to exterminate every trace of human existence in any system – going so far as to annihilate current or previously-occupied human asteroids or planetoids.   She shook her head.

“Not many people do. I’m going to show you something,” he nodded to a second projector that activated in her briefing room. It was a video playback of what looked like a very zoomed-in image of a typical Class-M habitable world.   “This was a human colony that had only been settled for a half-decade.   Here we see one of the Kamikaze cruiser-type ships come in to destroy the human settlement.   This was after their scouting missions had done their typical suicidal attacks on the largest colony cities.  We weren’t able to provide any warning to the people there to make an attempt at evacuating.”

Ying assumed the video footage was from an AWDI or PAC warship that had been sent to intervene, but now considered that perhaps it was a feed from the colony’s HyperCOM relay.  The video advanced to show the Kamikaze cruiser go into a geosynchronous orbit and begin to bombard the planet’s surface.   After several seconds the time stamp proceeded forward again to the hostile cruiser dropping their real-planet killer onto the surface; a biological/chemical weapon that decimated everything living on the world – including the native wildlife that had nothing to with humans.   In a couple of weeks the weapon would begin to boil away the water, then use some process that humans didn’t yet understand to disintegrate the atmosphere.   The last progression of the time stamp was of the video’s source camera being annihilated confirming her suspicion of it being the HyperCOM buoy.  It was the only way the video footage could’ve been recovered: the buoy was transmitting its video as it was being captured.

“That footage occurred twelve years ago.   Typically what happens on a colonization effort is that we send in a HyperCOM buoy after a habitable planet is located. As an accident, one HyperCOM relay arrived while the human colonists never did.  We suspect that the Charon rocket was destroyed or otherwise suffered a critical failure of some kind, therefore never arriving.   Nonetheless the HyperCOM kept sending regular updates back here to Earth.  After eight years, just after we had a new rocket already in hyerpsace, the Kamikaze show up.  They survey the world, find no traces of human habitation and then destroy the HyperCOM.   The colonists arrived and setup shop as normal.   Since they didn’t have a HyperCOM to communicate with Earth we sent a warship equipped with one.  Within a week the Kamikaze showed back up and annihilated the colonists,” Florence explained switching the image to a still picture of the unnamed colony, covered in the black and gray death cloud the Kamikaze employed.   In the fore of the image was a series of Kamikaze vessels whom were destroying the vessel capturing the image.

“So we started an experiment,” Florence said, “We designed and sent a deep-space long-mission stealth craft to an uninhabited system. One were we knew the Kamikaze would pick up a quantum signature in short order. Within a year we got our results.” He continued progressing through various video and still images, “They showed up, scanned the planet to find no human inhabitants, and then scoured the system for several weeks before finally leaving, never to return.”

Ying nodded, “I have heard the Kamikaze are attracted to our radio signals – savagely so. Are they also somehow finding our quantum communications as well?   I thought the science behind quantum entanglement made that impossible.  That is, there is no radio wave to intercept.”

Florence nodded, “We thought so too. But the reality is that the Kamikaze know something about quantum mechanics we don’t and can use that to locate our worlds.” Ying inhaled quietly but with inner dreaded realization for what that meant. The American nodded again, “You’re probably grasping what this means: the Kamikaze know where Earth is. And, if their previous patterns are any indication, they will be coming for us in force in due time.”

“At this point we explain your purpose,” one of the European women said who carried a French accent, “which is to be our great leader on a new world. An expedition completely unlike any we have ever carried out, save for the first Charon rockets that didn’t have HyperCOM relays.”

Mingmei spoke again, “We are going to provide you with the very best and latest materials we can design and furnish. You journey is going to be long, hard and isolated. But you are our brightest star and greatest hope.”

Ying very rarely in her life had felt overwhelmed. She had never felt unprepared. Until now. This is a curse, my destiny has been robbed of me! And yet this is my duty, I must comply. I am a child of and a part of the physical will of China – of the greater PAC at large.

Qiang-Nan spoke again, “We know you have family here on the homeworld. We are offering you the right to bring them with you, should you so choose. Your security aide, Ilarion Chuvnik, does not have a choice. He will accompany you for protection and, if nothing else, to offer you some familiarity on a distant world.”

Ying nodded stiffly, “I understand.”

“Advisor Oum,” spoke another woman with dark skin, a warm voice and welcoming face – a dignitary of an African nation most likely – spoke to her, “We understand that this will be a difficult idea for you to adjust to. Hence we are going to provide you the option of a personal counselor to visit before you depart and during your journey.”

“This Council is too kind, but I require no such special treatment. I will succeed,” Ying stated with the utmost confidence she could muster.

“Advisor Ying,” Mingmei said, “Success is not merely leading an expedition. In this regard success is also the maintenance of your personal health. You cannot lead if you cannot stand. You will take a counselor, the dossiers will be provided to you.”

“I understand,” Ying replied.

Secretary Florence spoke again, “Speaking of departures, we are still making preparations. As a part of this undertaking your chariot will be a new design. We are calling it the Charon X-LR.” With that the second display changed to the line schematics and a fully rendered rotating 3D image of the craft. Ying had no real concept of the scale but Florence spoke to provide that, “The rocket, if it can be called that, will not actually leave Earth’s atmosphere. It’s already being constructed in orbit.”

Ying could see from the design it was definitely not a rocket. The main fuselage was rocket-like: thick, long and in a roughly cylindrical fashion. The body had a series of trapezoidal pods attached around the vessel’s circumference in groups of three as a part pf four sections. The front of the craft, where there would normally be a tip to help remain aerodynamic enough to punch through atmosphere, was instead adorned by a construction that looked like the top of a gothic cathedral: sharply pointed, with some kind of ribbing moving down the body and a strange orange-yellow glow emitting from those ribs. To the rear there was no propellant-burning engine. Instead eight bulbous orange pods were attached in parallel rows of four. Exiting further back was another long and comparatively spindly spoke from which three massive solar panels protruded. Each on their own was over half the length of the vessel but flowed behind like kites; they were an asymmetrical hexagon.

“This vessel is designed to carry you to the surface of Nile. Once you have selected a landing site the vessel will break up and pieces will fall to the surface with you, to assist in founding your colony. Whatever is incapable of making planet-fall, such as the solar collectors and the hyperdrive unit, you will program to fly into the local star,” Florence explained.

“So we will have no ability to return,” Ying stated more than asked.

“No matter what happens this is a one-way trip, Advisor Oum. You and your people are a strategic safeguard - a life insurance plan for all of humanity. In time, as we are able, we will send vessels to come assist you and protect you. However, if the Kamikaze remain the threat they are and if we keep losing ground – especially if we lose Earth – your world will be the only safe place for humanity,” Florence explained with a degree of solemnity.

That struck Ying pretty hard. She knew the war against the alien menace hadn’t been easy. She had thought, however, that the offensive actions some decades ago had pushed the Kamikaze back. Instead of pondering it she decided to voice it, “So our war is not going well?”

This time a different man spoke, “Advisor Oum I am Space Admiral Bron, I oversee the strategic deployment of the combined AWDI and PAC space navies. The war is not an absolute route. We have made progress in assaulting several Kamikaze worlds but we aren’t having any success in deterring them from continuing to fight. They are a species that seems absolutely hell-bent on xenocide against us. This plan – this expedition you are leading – is a safeguard against that xenocide. Hypothetically speaking if we suddenly had no space forces to content with the Kamikaze our best guess would put them close to a decade of working their way inward to Earth. Assuming they destroyed every habitable system in the process.”

“So there is still hope for us?” Ying said. She was speaking of humanity at large but also for the isolated mission she was undertaking.

“Yes,” Bron stated, “Humanity has a lot of fight and willpower left in it. One reason we’ve managed to survive this long is because we play the long game. We aren’t relegated to short-term plans.”

“If there is a break in the war, if we achieve victory through force or by the enemy’s surrender, we will send a relief force to you to help you re-integrate into the human whole,” Mingmei spoke. “If there is not victory then you will be the foundation upon which our species stands strong again.”

Ying unconsciously swallowed. Her exterior composure was breaking as the pressure of this settled in. She was trying to rationalize the responsibility here down to a more manageable size. She posed a question, “I had thought that the primary reason – though it was in secret – of the push for the colonization efforts was to provide many targets for the Kamikaze; so that if they did come to the Sol System we would have fallback options?”

Admiral Bron decided to field her question, “Initially yes – that was the primary reasoning. However, as the Kamikaze have not relented and our strategic posture - despite offensive operations - has shifted to one more focused on evacuation & flexible defensive fleets. We haven’t had the time to fortify any significant numbers of worlds. Fànròng is our most heavily militarized world, besides Earth and Jupiter. In addition, all of our worlds have HyperCOM relays so – if the theory that the Kamikaze are tracking us in this manner is true – they know exactly where to hit us already.”

“And if they attack Earth, and are successful in doing so, there will be nowhere to fallback to. Each colony must stand on its own. That realization was the impetus for our offensive actions into systems decimated by the Kamikaze and into their own home systems,” Florence added.

It all made sense to Ying only too well. As she pondered the situation for a few moments, looking at each of the 24 world leaders and Council members, she also realized that her destiny was calling to her. In a brief moment of clarity she realized that she would be the Harold for a new chance for humanity to strike out and once again defy the odds of fate. She bowed deeply to the projectors, “As a daughter of the Pan-Asian Cooperative, descendant from China and Advisor to these Councils – I accept and will meet this challenge.”

Bron said nothing but nodded. Florence added, “Thank you.”

Mingmei said, “We have the utmost confidence in you.”

Qiang-Nan closed with, “May destiny guide you, and may you bring humanity great blessings.”

SOL SYSTEM

April 2, 2178 AD

Earth, undisclosed location in old United States

AWDI Military Briefing

Admiral Bron of the AWDI space navy, Secretary Flornce of the UNAP and President Courvoisier from the Union of South American Nations were in the same room after the Earth Command briefing with the Earth leadership and Advisor Ying Oum. Now the trio were having a second meeting with an Army Major of the Allied Western Defense Initiative’s mobile infantry. They weren’t quite the Marines of the prior centuries that worked with sea-borne navies yet they weren’t quite the long-term ground pounders of a traditional army either.

Major Scott Decatur stood in his Army Dress uniform at attention. Bron saluted the younger man and motioned to a seat at the briefing table, “Please sit, Major.” Decatur did so.

The Admiral pulled out a tablet and handed it to the major, “This is going to be the briefing for the special assignment you volunteered for some years ago. You’ve been previously informed of the XLR mission so I won’t re-explain it to you.” 

Decatur nodded. He had actually been covertly allowed to monitor the briefing, with the approval of the PAC Council and Earth Command. It was only covert to Advisor Oum and her security assistant.

Bron continued, “I’m going to detail a little of what you can expect as the military protection force. This is, putting it simply, a long-term garrison and base establishment. You are being given fully autonomous control. You are going to be supplied with a central Army Corps to make up the backbone of your defensive force. However you do have the right, with the assistance of the civilian leadership, to field a militia for whatever purposes you see fit.

“The simple fact is Nile looks very habitable and all of our surveys seem to indicate she is a very human-friendly planet. That does not in any way mean you will be free of unknown hostile local wildlife,” Bron stated. Decatur’s mind shifted to a declassified report about what happened on Prosperity at the early part of the 22nd century and how a former US Army Ranger, along with some local militia, killed a very hostile fire-breathing menace of a creature. Bron continued, “We are also providing you with heavy weapons systems and aerial support craft just in case. The military compliment will be 120 troops for the over 1000 colonists. You’ll have four multi-format VTOLs that you may choose to employ in whatever manner you desire. These models are modified to connect with weapons systems or civilian support systems – various weapon mounts, magnetic cables, tractor beams, external storage pods and more.

“You’ll also have four heavy-armor platforms that have multi-format attachments for them as well. Again you’ll have various weapons but also civilian assistance systems like a bulldozer scoop and other earth-mover equipment. You’ll have eight pilots total, for your VTOLs and eight crewmen for your heavy armor. You can, as you see fit, re-assign and retrain your personnel to whatever positions you see fit.”

Decatur asked a question, “For the troops under my command – are they signed over to military service for their lifetimes?”

President Courvoisier spoke to answer, “There is no hard deadline for these troops. We did, however, impress upon the volunteers for this mission that they are only required to be contracted for ten Earth years. Once you are out there the situation may change and you can adjust your requirements to the colony’s needs as you see fit, in accordance with the civilian government.”

“So there is nothing really requiring these troops to remain troops, once we make planet fall, sir?” Decatur asked.

“There’s no way to make a legally binding contract with Earth when your world will be so completely isolated. As far as they know they are required for ten years; whether you choose to dissuade them of that notion or not will be your command decision as military leadership,” Courvoisier clarified.

“We are, then, a peacekeeping force?” Decatur asked.

“Yes,” Secretary Florence replied, “Let it be made clear that you do not have the authority to institute martial law nor enact any form of coup d’état except in the most extreme case where the civilian leadership is deliberately and obviously seeking to harm the colony’s population.”

“And the civilian leadership is who? Advisor Oum?” Decatur inquired.

Florence nodded, “For now, yes. If she decides to enact some form of democracy or not, then that is for her to decide. If she wants to be a dictator then that is also her decision. Nile is going to be a bastion for humanity in a distant corner of the galaxy, far from human habitation. You’ll be making your own rules in your own way.”

Decatur was taken aback by the vague distanced commentary, “How far out are we going?” He had, up to this point, assumed that Nile was a relatively close but isolated world that hadn’t been colonized.

“Nile is over seventy light years away from our furthest colony. Making the system two-hundred fifty-two light years from Earth,” Florence stated.

Decatur was wasn’t sure what to make of that. He was shocked by the distance. He wasn’t aware any human vessels could reach that far out. Then again the Charon XLR was a one-way vessel. She’d never come home to Earth to pick up more colonists or be repurposed.

“Understood, sir,” Decatur simply replied. He hadn’t had any misgivings about the assignment until right now. For some reason, in this moment, a small nervousness overcame him.

“The journey won’t be anywhere near that long. The new hyperdrive systems step into a higher band of hyperspace and you’ll only be in stasis for just under six years,” Bron explained.

Decatur arched an eyebrow as he realized that wasn’t so bad given the distance being traveled. He’d spent four years in stasis once, which was difficult but not having any family he didn’t mind it so much. He was married to the AWDI mobile infantry now. “Seems it’ll be a lovely nap, sir. I’m sure my troops will agree.”

Bron gave a small curve of his lips to imitate a smile, “I’m sure it’ll pass by in a heartbeat.”

“So the short version is that we’ll be there to establish protection and ensure colony growth until we reestablish contact with Earth?” Decatur asked.

“Yes,” Florence said, “Assuming we can neutralize the Kamikaze threat.”

“Major,” Bron interjected, “Let me be clear on this: the war with the Kamikaze seems to be an eternal affair courting death. Our offensive operations were nothing short of absolutely successful simply because they didn’t know we were coming for them. Despite the complete and utter destruction of seven systems’ worth of resources, their numbers have not abated in the least – especially in larger engagements. If they can take the loss of seven solar systems like a slap in the face and keep coming at us, it doesn’t paint a pretty picture. We have three fully populated, well-established and protected systems – including Earth. We can keep throwing advanced technology at them and win engagements by attrition. However there doesn’t seem to be a method for which we can decisively strike and end their threat.”

“Not yet, anyway,” Courvoisier stated. “Which is why this expedition is so important. It’s also very fragile. Earth’s governments don’t have militaries any more. For example, you and Admiral Bron both report to Earth Command who is an amalgamation of world powers working toward a mutual benefit. But the UNAP doesn’t have a military just like we in the USAN do not. Because of this, we really don’t know what to expect when combining a military-civilian group for founding a new colony. Earth Command has discussed at-length what kind of force to send and who to send. You were picked because you have an impeccable military record of just, decisive and fair leadership among your men. The civilian organizations you’ve worked with have had nothing ill to say for your conduct. You are the best person we have to re-forge the path of military-civilian cooperation.”

Decatur understood that. Long ago, before Earth’s Final War, militaries typically worked in conjunction with the local populace for any number of reasons. Often rebuilding cities after a war or battle; even helping in the event of natural disasters with food, supplies and medical needs. After the Final War and the Economica Collapse, with all standing militaries completely eradicated, there was nothing but civilians to administer their own lives.

“Understood, sirs. I won’t fail,” Decatur stated flatly but meant wholeheartedly. For Decatur he was happy to volunteer for this assignment because he’d not had any family anymore. The Kamikaze, when they raised Apollo, had struck his home as their second target while he was deployed. The only thing that Major Scott Decatur had anymore was the mobile infantry; for him, that was enough. It was a purpose and a direction.

“The Charon rocket will carry you to Nile in approximately one year, when the project is complete. We’re staggering the civilian cyro-sleep initiation so they’ll be boarded starting six months before launch. This is different from the traditional Charon launch methods where the civilians are on-boarded and they are conscious through the orbit out past Mars. In this situation all of the passengers, including the military, will be asleep before you ever leave dock. Only the flight crews will be awake to keep an eye on the vessel so that minimal power will be used on life support,” Courvoisier stated.

“It should also be made clear that there is no provision for a return trip. I don’t mean simply upon your arrive in the Nile system. If there is some complication on the way out to Nile and you have to be moved out of Hyperspace then you are on your own to find your way to a habitable system. In fact, that is solely the flight crew’s discretion. Advisor Oum will have no say on any matters en-route or in regards to the ship operation until you arrive in Nile,” Florence explained.

Decatur again nodded. The briefing continued in the fashion forward for some time covering smaller minor details. Decatur knew, at the end of this journey, there was a simple direction: forward, only forward. He’d forgot who in history had made that quote for which he’d clung to so long.

"Worldship flying" image found via online search under "Public Domain." No specific artists was credited, image was linked to blogspot.com but no specific page would load.  I am not the artist of this image.