Conquest ~ Indian Hill 3 ~ A Michael Talbot Adventure (61 page)

“I watched more than a few of your bouts. I always thought that you tended more
toward
luck than prowess
,” Urlack said
.

“I bet you’re
fun at parties
,” I said
.

“Do they serve this Moxie at parties?” Urlack asked seriously.

“God, I hope not.”

“You humans can be brilliant when it comes to devising ways in which to preserve your lives. Your species
’
survival instinct is strong, that is why our fight has not gone as easy as the High Command though
t
it would. I fear for the lives of my enslaved breth
ren; they die while the
officer
s sit back and plot their next move.”

“It’s been the same on our planet
for eons.
”
I
rued
.

“What will be gained if an alliance can be formed?” Urlack asked.

“Another chance
.
T
hat’s all I can promise
,
Urlack. Maybe we’ve learned so
mething, I hope that’s the case.
If
we haven’t
,
at the very least
,
your kind will be able to make their own decisions.”

“That will have to be enough
,” Urlack said
, apparently some thought
was
weigh
ed on an internal
scale
and
had finally tipped into
humanity’s
favor.

“Any idea how we’ll be able to do this?” I asked.

“We have been talking in your absence
,
Michael
,” Dee said
. “
T
here has
been a growing movement among the Genogerians, a discontent at our treatment. We have been waiting decades for an opportunity such as the one that is presenting itself here. Urlack has Genogerians on the inside that will risk everything to spread the word that the appropriate time has come.”

I looked around conspiratorially. “Please do not let anyone know you have communication outside of the walls
,” I told
Urlack.

“I will agree to that
,” Urlack said
.

“And what about that ship circling over us?” I asked. “Even if every ground troop you have defects, that ship could easily undo everything. I can’t imagine there are too many Progerians sympathetic to the plight of their cousins.”

“You are correct in that assumption
,” Urlack said
. “There are certain measures that will be taken in that regard also.”

“This sounds promising
,” I said
, hope creeping its way back into my heart.

“For this to work, you will need to come with me back to the ship
,” Urlack said
.

My
throat
threatened to
jump
out
of
my mouth along with my stomach and a good chunk of my liver. Dee’s chair went hurtling through space as he quickly stood up.

“I will not allow it
!” he shouted
.

The three guards and the lieutenant quickly came into the room to see what was the matter.

“Everything alright?”
t
he lieutenant asked me.

I doubt I looked alright
.
I felt like I had just swallowed a live eel and it was sending bolts of electricity through my innards.
"I'm fine." I managed to say without spraying stomach juice around the room. They departed almost as quickly as they had entered.

“For this to work, they will have to see you speak the words of this new peace and a promise that they will be able to live
out
their lives untethered to another’s will and on land they can call their own.”

“Why me? I’m a lowly
c
aptain.”

“You’re the
E
arth champion
;
they would not be able to
think of any
one more in a position of power than yourself.”

“Dee
,
I can’t go back to that ship
,” I said
haltingly.
I wasn’t proud of my response, but just the thought of going back was making staying in the standing position a difficult proposition.

“I will support you with any decision you make
,
Michael
,” Dee said
.

Dee’s statement hung there
.
I
t was only a fragment of what he wanted to say.

“Dee
,
please finish the rest of your thought
,” I told
him, even though I had no desire to know what he felt because it really didn’t bode well for me.

“
Please do not let my conflicting words mislead you, I do not want you to go that ship either and
I will fight alongside you down here until the end, but the end is what it will be. You
r kind has
fought admirably
,
but this is not a fight they can win. This is merely the vanguard of a much bigger occupation force
.
O
nce they get
here
,
nothing we have done these last few months will matter. If we are to truly win, we must have a superior position from which to defend ourselves.”

“Dee, say all of this works
—
we’re able to convince the Genogerians, down here and up in the ship
,
that now is the time for their freedom. What then? I’m still not sure I see the gain if the Progerians still have a fleet
on the way
. I can’t imagine a scout ship would be any match for what’s coming and even if it was
,
who’s going to operate it
?
I can’t imagine the Progerians are going to see the folly of their ways and then join up with us.”

“Valid point
,” Urlack said
. “But a scout ship, probes the depths of unknown space for years at a
time
.
I
t
is a battle fortress in its own right
,
never knowing what it may encounter along its voyages. It would hold up quite well in battle. And I will be there to teach the Genogerians how to operate the controls.
Besides that
,
there are ways we could communicate with the Genogerians on the other ships to make them understand what is happening here.”

“This is a lot of ‘ifs’
,” I said
,
looking for some sort of
way
out
of
th
e
nightmare.

“
What choices are there?
” Dee
asked
pragmatically. “We stay, we fight, we die.”

“Very inspirational
,” I told
him.

“Really
,
Michael, I am not sure sarcasm is appropriate right now
,” Dee answered
back.

“Sarcasm?” Urlack asked.

“I think you two will have plenty of time for him to teach you all about it
,” Dee said
to Urlack.

CHAPTER SIXTY-F
I
VE - Mike Journal Entry 22

“Absolutely
not
,”
Tracy and Paul said in unison. Although if
I remember correctly,
Tracy’s words were also infused with a few choice expletives.

“I smell trap all over this
,” Paul said
.

“Normally
,
I’d think the same thing
,
Paul, but why bother
?
They would now know this location and could crush us within an hour or two at the most. I mean
,
maybe it could be an elaborate scheme to flush me out and parade me around, but they just don’t operate like that
.
T
hey don’t see the need for deception. They are all about crush and acquire.”

Paul stopped his arguing. “You can’t possibly be thinking about this?” Tracy asked Paul.

“Unless we had our own spaceships
,
we all know we’re merely biding our time until the end comes
,” Paul said
to Tracy.

“Are you insane
?
” Tracy shouted
.
W
hether it was meant for me or Paul I wasn’t sure.

“Don’t forget your place,
L
ieutenant
,” Paul said
.

“Sir, yes
, sir,
General
,”
Tracy said snapping to attention.

“Now I understand your feelings in this matter, but we have to look at this as the sacrifice of the one for the many.”

“The sacrifice?” I whispered.

“Figure of speech
,” Paul said
.

“I’ve always hated that figure
,”
I mumbled.

“
Sir,
I understand,” Tracy said.
“B
ut
c
an’t we just make a videotape or something and send it with Urlack?”

“Genogerians are very impressed with displays of courage and valor
,” I said
.

“Being on that ship without Progerian knowledge would satisfy both of those requirements
,” Paul said
. “Mike
,
I don’t know if I’ll ever get over Dennis’ death, I cannot add you to that list
,” Paul said
,
contemplating what the
plan would entail and the dangers that were inherent in it. “When?” Paul asked.

“
Couple of days at the most
,”
s
omeone that sounded and looked like me answered. I was having an out of body experience. I was looking down on th
at
dipshit
and was busy trying to figure out what ‘he’ had against me.

“
That soon
?” Tracy nearly shrieked.

“Lieutenant
,
you’re
dismissed
,” Paul said
coolly.

Tracy leveled a hard stare at him that I thought would
cause his camouflage blouse to burst into flame.

“You have something more to add?” Paul asked her.

“No
,
sir
,” she answered
, turning to leave. Her gaze swept past my face and gave
second
degree burns everywhere it made contact.

The door shut a fraction
harder
than it needed to.

“You alright?” Paul asked with a small grin.

“You mind if I sleep here?” I asked him.

“Might as well. This
is where I sleep when I get any
,
that is. Mike
,
what the fuck are you thinking?” Paul asked seriously.

“I’m thinking about th
e
baby Tracy is carrying
,
Paul. Any chance I have, no matter how remote, to give him or her a chance to grow up, to laugh, to love, I have to try.”

“How come you never took drama in school?” Paul asked as he fished a bottle of some smoky colored liquor out of his desk.