The Impossible Future: Complete set Frank Kennedy (freenovel24 .TXT) 📖

from the NAC’s eastern quadrant. We believe stacking the deck right now would be seen by the hardliners as intimidation. We don’t want to back these people into a corner.”

“Very wise,” Evan said.

“He’s making plans overseas. When I know more, so will you.”

After another round of wine and snacks – Sam was surprised to see a Solomon-free room of Chancellors helping themselves – three admirals arrived and call the meeting to order. Rear Admiral Bastian Grandover and Step Admiral Angela Poussard took the end framed by the Atrium Aeterna. Supreme Admiral Stephan Tolliver stayed closest to the entrance and remained on his feet as everyone took their seats. He swung his hands together behind his back. Sam thought his features were grim and pale.

“I wish to begin this conference with a confession,” Tolliver said, his shoulders firm and his uniform glimmering with the finery of rank. “I intended to retire from the Guard two years ago. My wife and I planned to tour the colonies, something we never did at our many postings. I thought, foolishly, my replacement was well prepared. Unfortunately, SkyTower fell and Rear Admiral Augustus Perrone’s treachery was exposed. I never cared for the man, but apparently, I also underestimated his ambition. I vowed to see this new conflict through until I served justice.

“After two years of failing to apprehend these terrorists, I have concluded that I have betrayed not just the Chancellory, but all humanity. Our job as peacekeepers is to protect the vital interests of the Chancellory and secure peace and stability on the colonies. However, under my watch, a small band of savages have killed two hundred and sixty-three thousand humans.

“Hours ago, we received visual confirmation of their latest attack. This time, they transmitted it themselves – on Guard frequencies. While our ground teams have only begun to assess, we believe more than four hundred Brahmans in an equatorial settlement and a nearby mineral facility were slaughtered – including a UG garrison training in the region – plus, a small number of indigos were taken away by force. We have to yet to receive a full accounting of survivors.”

He tapped his amp and threw open a window which he split three times then tossed into central positions for all to view.

The vids were aerial shots above villages along the coastline of the Sea of Awan. The shots were choppy and varied, but they narrowed in on one settlement in particular. A few moments became clear. A line of people burst into flame and turned to ash. Though the visuals came from above, Sam knew what she was seeing. Specifically, who. She turned cold.

“The terrorists arrived in this region without warning and remained for less than thirty minutes,” the admiral said. “The commanders of all eleven Ark Carriers in orbit launched battalions, but only two Scramjets arrived in time – and they were blown from the sky by a terrorist vessel emerging from a wormhole.”

The room died; jaws dropped. Wine stirred nervous stomachs.

“Ten minutes before I arrived, I received reports with ground interviews. They are disturbing, but not for the reasons you might expect.” He tapped into his holocube and pulled up a vid of a bearded man sparsely dressed but with a twinkle in his eye.

“He chose us,” the man said, wonderment in his voice. “Can you imagine? Of all the villages on all the colonies, he chose us. He cast out the cancer and gave a bounty to the believers.”

A peacekeeper sergeant asked, “Explain yourself, indigo. Now.”

“Your time is over, peacekeeper. You’ll be gone soon. The real protector will watch after us.”

“What protector?”

“Our savior. Brother James. We have our first true god.”

“A god? Are you fevered, sir?”

The man pointed off-frame. “Go and see for yourself. He turns a desert into a bounty. No Chancellor can do this!”

Others ran behind the man, who soon joined them. The vid stopped. Silence took hold of the conference room. Many eyes flickered toward Sam, who couldn’t process what she saw.

“This must be propaganda,” Lucinda said. “The man was clearly deranged, as if he’d been hypnotized.”

Admiral Tolliver lowered his head. “If only.” He fingered his holocube. “This is aerial surveillance taken when battalions arrived. What you are seeing are five square kilometers of vibrant crops, bearing fruit.” He swiped to another image. “This is the same aerial six hours earlier.” The ground was an endless swath of brown. “This region has experienced months of drought combined with poisonous runoff from an innezium production facility. What happened here is not scientifically possible. And that facility? Destroyed.”

“What are you saying, Admiral?” Lucinda asked.

“What I am saying is we face a threat beyond anything our best strategists imagined. It is my opinion we must no longer consider this a fight against humans. I will submit a formal recommendation declaring the Collectorate as being in a state of war with an alien intelligence. I have argued for this designation for months. An alien race created the Jewels of Eternity. They now control these terrorists in mind and body.

“After I submit my recommendation, I will resign.” Gasps dominated the room. Sam caught a glance of the other admirals; they were stoic. “We need new leadership, new vision. Ladies and gentlemen, you represent many of the most powerful Presidiums on Earth. You also represent different factions in our civil war and in Solomon policy. I encourage you to put aside these differences. Find common ground. I believe this alien threat may be existential.”

Tolliver nodded to his peers. “I turn over this meeting to Admirals Grandover and Poussard. Perhaps they can talk sense into you.”

Despite the pleas of many Chancellors, the Supreme Admiral – who served thirty-eight years in the Guard, stationed above ten different colonies – pivoted and left the room without another word.

Sam hadn’t met him in person before today, but she felt sorry for