Chapter 20


"Let me get this straight," Ambassador Kurtis cleared his throat loudly, sitting before Max Trainor and Hayley Komit within the TFS Alliance’s guest quarters. "You want to go back?"

Hayley had just finished explaining to the Ambassador her desire to return to the planet’s surface. She went through considerable detail explaining her story to him, how the Companion V.I. had gained sentience and wanted to create a utopian society around the Exiles. He told her how the Exiles were going to organize and attack specific areas of the Aegean Republic while the New Liberty colonists were dealing with DIS. After she’d finished, Kurtis seemed flabbergasted. When he finally asked her to clarify her intentions, Hayley was plain in her response.

"Yes, I want to go back. The Exiles are my people now."

"And you’re going along with this?" Kurtis shot a look at Trainor.

"I never could say no to her. Maybe if I could, none of this would have happened."

"And the Exiles would still be worse off," Hayley shook her head. "It took me a long time to realize it, but being made an Exile was the best thing that could have ever happened to me or my brethren. We’re on the cusp of a whole new society, and I can’t simply turn my back on them now. I won’t."

Kurtis folded his arms. In the last eleven months since this whole fiasco had started, his hair had gone from solid black to now containing a considerable amount of gray. Because of his participation in this, he’d single handedly brought the Federation within a pin’s width of going to war with the Aegean Republic. It was almost certainly going to end up that way if the New Liberty citizens were unable to get control of the Republic in the coming days. If the Exiles could some how gain control of the capital however, then perhaps both sides would be spared a full-scale war that could potentially cost millions of lives.

"What’s your part in all of this?" Kurtis shook his head after a minute’s pause. "What does your going back there do?"

"One of my friends is organizing the attack," Hayley responded. "I need to be there for her. I may not have a significant role in this thing, but I have to be with her. I have to assume some of the risk."

"You realize the risk is extremely high. Many Exiles will certainly be killed."

"I’m aware of the risks, and I’ve accepted them," she told him. "The Companion A.I. has assured us that it will do everything it can to see that our infiltration goes unnoticed as long as possible. It’s going to disable communications, sensors and provide us access to key areas. That’ll at least help us limit casualties until the very end. The hard part will be to hold New Rome. It’ll be up to the New Liberty forces to cause as much damage to DIS so they’re no longer a substantial threat."

"Of course..." Max interjected. "If the Federation were to provide support to the Exiles."

"Absolutely not," Kurtis shook his head. "An act of aggression on the part of the Federation would only cost us support from the other colonies. As it is, this police action we’ve been undertaking for the last several months has not been seen in the greatest of lights."

"I’m not talking about troops," Max shook his head. "Lets face it, the Federation has already supplied a ton of weapons to the New Liberty colony. Why not just give a bunch to the Exiles. As far as the Federation should be concerned, they’re freedom fighters, looking to take down an oppressive regime. I doubt anyone would look negatively at you for helping their cause."

Kurtis had to consider that. Rubbing his chin in thought, he considered the resources needed to undertake that kind of supply operation. Certainly, one of the supply ships in the system was still carrying arms. A supply could simply be redirected, aboard stealth shuttle into the Aegean Colony. And, if Hayley was so intent on returning to help her fellow Exiles execute their plan, she could simply go with them. Certainly the Federation council would have to deliberate such an action. But, given the time constraints, immediate action was necessary.

The Ambassador rose out of his chair. "Twelve hours. Be in the hangar bay. We’ll be ready to go by then."

Max and Hayley looked at each other. Though he couldn’t see it, he could tell that she was smiling under the helmet. Kurtis bid his farewells, and went straight to work. He personally contacted one of the supply ships that was part of the Alliance’s battle group, and requested a half dozen crates of small arms be transferred to the Alliance. Though it required some convincing, Kurtis was able to negotiate with the Captain of the Alliance to permit the exchange. A small Marine landing force would see the delivery of the supplies via Night Stalker Landing Craft, as well as two passengers,

Hayley and Max. Twelve hours later, Hayley and Max were standing inside the cavernous hangar bay in the belly of the TFS Alliance, watching as the Marines wheeled a number of crates into one of their Night Stalker tilt-jet landing craft. Federation Ambassador Davin Kurtis and Dr. Savan met up with them a few minutes into the loading operation.

"Alright, everything is set. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get more, but I did the best I could on such short notice," he told them. "There’s 142 rifles and 72 pistols. Anything else, your Exiles will have to scrounge on their own."

Hayley gave an understanding nod to the Ambassador. "It’s more than we would have had. Thank you, Ambassador."

"Once the Exiles have gained control of the New Rome arcology, you will need to send a message to us formally requesting assistance," the Ambassador continued. "We can then legally send a Marine security force to help secure the arcology. Dr. Savan will transport down and help secure the device needed to remove the Exile suits. Once we have that in our possession, we will be able to begin liberating the Exiles."

"Some of us may not want to be ‘liberated’..." Hayley interjected.

"And of course, we’ll allow each individual to make that decision. However, it is important that we at least give every individual the ability to make that choice for themselves, do you agree?"

Hayley nodded. Likely, there were many out there that wanted to be freed of the suit, and she and others who shared her beliefs would do nothing to try to stop them. "You’ll be on a time limit I’m afraid. As soon as I’m done speaking with you, I will need to send a report to the Federation council. You may or may not appreciate the fact that I am risking my career by doing this. The transmission will take approximately six hours to reach Earth and another six hours for a response to come through. That gives you twelve hours to take the arcology. After that, I cannot promise you any further support."

"I understand. I’ll let everyone know. The attack will have to commence tonight."

"I wish you luck Ms. Komit," the Ambassador gave her a nod. "You as well Mr. Trainor." "Thank you," Hayley shot one glance at Dr. Savan who simply gave her a silent nod of acknowledgement and luck. She then turned her glance to Max, who took a deep breath and appeared nervous. "You don’t have to come with me, Max. I have to do this, you don’t."

"Nope, you’re wrong. I do have to do this," he raised his voice, as the sound of the Night Stalker’s engines coming to life filled the hangar. "I let you go out there alone once before, and look what happened. Not this time. I’m gonna be there."

She gave him an invisible smile, reaching out and taking one of his hands in one of hers. For a moment she thought she could almost feel the warmth of his palm. A marine approached the two, and ushered them aboard the landing craft. The two were soon seated within the cramped confines of the Marine Night Stalker, roaring toward the surface of Vega IV. It was night on the Western continent, making insertion that much easier. Even the most sophisticated sensors were unable to detect the Night Stalker, and with Companion apparently working to create confusion in the Aegean network, insertion went off without a hitch.

As instructed by Hayley, the transport ship landed just outside a small cluster of abandoned buildings in the southern most range of the Republic’s boundaries. The small village once served as a home to the original New Liberty colonists who seceded from the Aegean Republic shortly after its formation. Unfortunately, they were driven out as a result of constant harassment from DIS, and were forced to resettle far from the original colony. Several of the temporary structures still stood, most in ramshackle condition from decades of disuse. Located inside a densely forested range a half-kilometer south of Vega Bay, it was established on the top of a hill and had no road access. The original dirt paths leading to the village had long disappeared, vegetation now hiding any evidence of their original existence.

The Night Stalker LC approached at a low altitude, coming in just above the tree line. It made very little noise and from below simply looked like a black shape moving across the stars above. It landed in a clearing within the village center, dozens upon dozens of black clad Exiles milling about, seeing what the commotion was.

Once the vehicle had landed, the loading ramp lowered and the shuttle crew rapidly started offloading the cargo. Within each container, were two-dozen Phased-Plasma rifles, each with its own fully charged plasma pack. The Phased-Plasma rifle was currently the standard rifle used by the Federation. It fired small ‘wads’ of charged plasma that burned through just about anything it touched. A single pellet-sized wad could easily burn through someone’s head, causing as much if not more damage than a conventional .50-calibur round. Once the crates were off loaded and both Hayley and Max were on the ground, the Marine landing craft rose back in the night sky and blasted off back to the Alliance. Max watched as Hayley greeted her fellow Exiles. He fell somewhat uneasy around the barely visible black figures, finding it difficult to distinguish them in the dark light. To him, they merely looked like moving shadows. He could feel them around him, and could sense a number of them surround him. The silence was eerie- although he imagined each could hear each others words, none of their voices were able to penetrate the surface of their helmets, leaving the area in complete silence.

Hayley returned to Max’s side, and patted his jacket pocket where he stored his DPAD. Before leaving the vessel, Dr. Savan had installed the necessary software for him to be able to link into Hayley’s receiver implant in order to allow him to hear her speak. He pulled the device out and accessed the program.

"There’s something wrong," she told him, shaking her head.

"What is it?"

"I haven’t connected with the network," she told him. "I can’t communicate with them. And I can’t communicate with the Guardian A.I."

"So?"

"The A.I. is helping to organize everything. If I can’t communicate with it, then I have no idea what’s going on."

"Well, you still know what the plan was, right?"

"Yeah, I..."

"Then just stick to it. And if you need to talk to any of these guys, I’m sure they can hear you through the DPAD."

"Fine. Give it to me," she took the DPAD and held it up over her head. "Everyone, can I have your attention for a minute?"

The Exiles stopped moving around and turned to face Hayley. When she was sure they were all listening, she continued.

"My name is Hayley Komit. Some of you may recognize that name, but forget it for now. I’m just telling you that as of this time, I’m cut off from the network, but I’m still going to be helping in the upcoming assault on the arcology. Unfortunately, I can’t hear any of you or speak to any of you directly, so I don’t know what the Guardian has in store, but I need to tell you this- the Federation is intending to help us keep control of the New Rome arcology. Unfortunately, we only have twelve hours otherwise they may not be able to support us. "That means this- we have to expedite our plan. Even if Guardian/Companion isn’t ready or is saying otherwise, or if we haven’t gotten enough volunteers yet, we have to strike now. I’ve brought a small supply of weapons. Only those participating in the assault should arm themselves. I’m not sure if my friend Alicia is here or not, but I know she was..."

A single large male Exile emerged from the group. Through her light amplified vision, Hayley recognized the familiar shape of the body. It was the tall, muscular, square-shouldered brute she recalled from her first day in Exile, the one who’d prevented her gaining access to the Maintenance bay not from where they were now. He’d even managed to carve a jagged ‘A’ into the face of his helmet, much like the one that she’d seen on the building. At first, Hayley thought he might try to rough her up and make off with the weapons, but instead he pointed to the A on his helmet. He then held up his finger and thumb in the shape of an L, then an I then a C...

"You know Alicia?"

The brute nodded, and tapped the face of his helmet. "The A? That’s what it means? Alicia?"

He nodded. So Alicia was more than just a member of the anarchist group she’d described. She was their leader. And this guy had been a member of that same group no doubt. When she asked him what happened to her, he held up his fists in a way as if to show he was wearing handcuffs. She’d been captured. Now even more reason to storm the castle, she thought. "Is the Guardian A.I. aware of what I’m saying?" She asked the brute.

He nodded, then gave a thumbs up. She guessed that meant it approved. The large Exile then held out both of his arms, seeming to indicate that the entire group in the village was ready.

"Then lets get ready. Everyone grab a weapon."

Hayley, Max and the brute supervised the distribution of weapons. Each Exile was given a rifle or a pistol. A few were turned away, the brute seeming to know the crowd and which ones to arm and which ones not to. Few were willing to challenge the brute’s decision. Those that attempted to steal from another were personally dealt with by a number of other Exiles, each who also bore the letter A somewhere on their helmet. The brute armed himself with two rifles and two pistols, slinging the rifles across his back in a cross-shape. A number of others also carried multiple weapons as there were not enough bodies in the village to equip. With the crates emptied, the 80+ Exiles and one non-Exile began final preparations.

Using the paint program in Max’s DPAD, the brute drew out a plan of attack, organizing the Exiles into two teams. The bulk of the Exiles would attack the DIS substation located to the east, leaving only twenty to assault the New Rome arcology. When Hayley asked how they could possibly take the arcology with only twenty, the brute simply drew the words ‘Don’t Worry’ in the paint program.

Within two hours the plan had been set. The Exiles were armed and ready. Hayley, who’d never fired a weapon in her life stood with plasma rifle in hand, next to Max who had one of his own and a pistol stuffed into his pants. With ten hours left to get the job done, the Exiles started their march. A little more than half a kilometer north of the village lied the old water treatment facility, once used by the Aegean Colony during its formative years, and long since retired in favor of the sprawling one further north. The Old Liberty village settlers had used it for a time, until industrial sabotage had closed it down for good. Though the facility had been abandoned, it still had tunnels that led underground straight to the sewage treatment facility just north of the arcologies. Getting to the tunnels had not been possible since it required access to the facility’s interior. That was until now. With the Warden program no longer in control of the Exiles, they simply blasted through the doors with their rifles and got inside without risk of punishment. Once the Exiles had established entry, the group split off, with the larger of the two units heading East toward the DIS substation, the rest heading inside the abandoned structure.

The place had seen infiltration for all sorts of indigenous insectoid-species. While the Exiles moved through the corridors with impunity, unconcerned with the bugs, Max pulled his jacket over his head, fearing that some might get into his hair or land on his face. The sound of insect exoskeletons being crushed underfoot echoed through the dark hallways, causing Max’s gag reflex to stimulate. Things didn’t get any more pleasant as they reached the facilities processing area where water was purified and the waste separated. The waste would then travel through miles of underground tunnels to the sewage reclamation area north of the arcologies. The stench in the tunnels was almost overwhelming. For once, Max almost wished he was an Exile just so he could be spared the nauseating odor. Vile, putrid fluid bubbled in the trench running down the middle of the tunnel while insects scurried along the walls, walkway and overhead, avoiding the moving sphere of bluish light produced from Max’s DPAD screen.

Hayley, who walked down the center of the tunnel, walking in the fluid glanced over at Max who was being careful where he stepped, making sure to keep his feet aligned with the narrow walkway. She was slightly amused by his reticence, but didn’t fault him for it. After all, she had no idea what fluid would have felt like on bare skin. Fortunately, the protective coating provided a waterproof layer that was easily cleaned, negating any concern of her getting dirty.

As they moved along the tunnel, they group was halted a few times by iron bars designed to prevent exactly what the Exiles were doing by using the tunnels as a means of passage. The bars were dealt with easily with the plasma rifles, the plasma turning the cast iron into something that resembled melted butter. The smell of burning plasma did little to help the situation for Max however. Plasma discharge emitted a smell that was similar to ozone mixed with a more chemical-like odor, almost like burning petroleum. The rifle’s ammunition source was after all a petroleum by-product.

Navigating the tunnels proved to be a considerably longer process than Hayley had first imagined. The tunnels did not run a straight line, but were on a gradual curve. At one point the tunnels narrowed to such a degree that the group had to walk in a single file for at least a kilometer. While the Exiles were all used to feelings of claustrophobia with their heads encased, Max was having a considerably more difficult time dealing with it. Hayley, who kept pace behind him, put her hand on his shoulder and kept it there as if to remind him that they were in it together. It seemed to help him relax some.

Soon, they emerged from the narrow tunnel into a much wider one-wide enough that it could have accommodated a truck. The sewage was at its deepest there, and the Exiles wading through it soon found themselves up to their knees. The smell had gotten a little better surprisingly however, suggesting that the waste in there was newer and the air was a little fresher. They knew that meant they were close to the arcologies, if not under them by that point.

Within thirty more minutes, they infiltration team had emerged from the tunnels and were back outside inside the steel trenches that were part of the sewage reclamation system. They followed the trenches for another half kilometer before finding a catwalk leading to ground level. As the twenty male and female Exiles, and one non-Exile emerged from the aqueduct, they looked upon the towering steel pyramids before them, each of them aglow with thousands of points of light. Hayley and Max exchanged glances as they stood their amongst the Exiles.

There was no turning back now...