Star Runners: Revelation Protocol

Chapter 3-2

“Commander Pierce?”

“You know him as President Pierce.” Sharkey looked at the other officers. "Officer Archer will look after the rest of you and lead you to your quarters."

Sharkey led Austin through the Terminus Building. The classrooms were dark and the floors had been polished to a high sheen. They entered the common area and Austin gazed at the high windows, the dwindling light revealing the tall trees beyond. Three officers sat at computer terminals. One woman, her hair streaked with silver, glanced at him as Sharkey led him up the stairs to the president’s office.

When they entered, Pierce stood behind his desk. A fire roared in the fireplace etched with elaborate carvings. The book shelves sparkled in the firelight and the polished dog statues carved from volcanic glass glistened. Pierce remained engrossed in the papers on his desk when they entered.

“Commander,” Sharkey said, “reporting as ordered.”

“This is a mess,” Pierce grumbled, not looking up from his papers. When he finally did so, Austin saw the bloodshot eyes of a man who hadn’t slept in a while. “Stone.”

He nodded. “Good evening, sir.”

“Glad you made it safely. Word is you’ve been busy.” Pierce looked at Sharkey. “Close the door. Get the windows.”

As Sharkey closed the door and pressed a button on the wall to shut the outer windows, Pierce strolled over to the globe sculpture Austin remembered from his only other visit to the president’s office; the night he’d left the Tizona Campus for flight school, although he hadn’t known his final destination at the time. Pierce touched the sculpture of the three globes connected by a gold bar. A bright light shot from the middle globe, projecting a holographic image in the center of the room.

The images flashed blue. Two square photos, one of Mom and the other of Kadyn, emerged at the corner of a royal blue square.

“You’ve been asked to communicate with your contacts and evoke Revelation Protocol,” Pierce said with a nod while the images transitioned to a map of Missouri. “While you were in transit to this campus, another accident occurred in Saint Charles, Missouri. A Star Runner was involved in an automobile accident while on his way to his family so he could carry out Revelation Protocol.”

A video of the news came up on the hologram, displaying a story of a burning wreck on a rural road in Missouri. A twisted piece of blackened metal flared at the side of the two-lane road. Across the road from the fire, a crumpled truck had come to a stop on the shoulder. The television cameras were following the crying family members on the side of the road.

Austin shook his head. “An accident?”

Pierce motioned toward the hologram. “Another vehicle ran him off the road. The Star Runner was killed, as was the civilian who happened to be driving the opposite way. The pilot’s entire family died an hour later in a house fire. The authorities have not been able to locate the vehicle that ran into our pilot, so we can only assume it is the work of these shadow forces currently targeting our pilots. If we keep losing our people, Atlantis won’t be able to man the alert fighter squadron that is creating the umbrella over Earth.”

“Earth has one squadron protecting it?” Austin wiped a droplet of sweat from his cheek.

“Earth doesn’t need more support because it’s a backwater planet. There has never been a need for more than one squadron at Atlantis. There has even been talk of removing the existing Tridents. This is just a minor incident to Command.”

He took a deep breath. “I understand, sir.”

“Okay,” Pierce said, changing the holographic image to a map of north Georgia. “Once you have made contact with your mother and Kadyn, I want you to meet an EIF agent here at this outlet mall, about an hour north of your position, to receive your next instructions. Do not use any communication devices—any at all! Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“We know we are being monitored. Talk to your contacts in person.” He glanced at his watch. “You will arrive in the middle of the night. Do not let them know you are coming. By the time you meet with the agent at the rendezvous point, it is my hope we will know more about these attacks. Questions?”

Austin thought about the threat to Earth, wondering if the pirates had bigger ambitions than terrorism. “Sir, is it possible Earth is being softened up for an attack or, maybe, an invasion?”

Pierce jerked his head back and laughed. “Seriously? I heard you had impressed the officers on Tarton’s Junction, but it obviously wasn’t because of your studies.”

He frowned. “Is it really that hard to imagine?”

“If you knew how many observation posts are scattered throughout Legion space,” Pierce said, rubbing his chin, “you would never ask about the possibility of an invasion in Quadrant Eight. The only way a task force could even try it, is by curve hopping through our space. There isn’t enough power in a ship for a curve of that distance.”

“So it’s not even possible?”

Pierce gazed into the holographic map still hovering over the center of the room like a spirit. “You shouldn’t worry about these things. The only way it’s possible is to use a power relay to boost your signals—they’re like beacons. But no one could afford that except the military and that hasn’t happened since the last war. I think it’s safe to say Earth won’t be invaded.”

“And they said the Titanic wouldn’t sink.”

Sharkey cleared his throat and cast Austin a warning glance.

“Okay, moving on,” Pierce said after a pause. “Chief Sharkey will accompany you on the trip to Atlanta. No Star Runners are to travel alone while this crisis continues. Get your mother, your friend, and meet the agent. Dismissed.”

Sharkey snapped a salute and pulled open the door. Austin looked at Pierce and saluted. Pierce nodded and turned back to his work.

They marched down the stairs and into the common area. The other officers still focused on their computers. One typed and chewed on his fingernails. The Brazilian officer nodded as they strolled across the room.

“Who are all these people?”

“Tizona is a safe place,” Sharkey said softly. “Some are officers who have no contacts or family here on Earth and are reporting to campuses across the globe, coming in to be safe until Command figures out exactly what is going on. Others are here to work during this emergency.”

“I see.” Austin looked at Sharkey. “And what do you think is going on?”

“I don’t like speculating.”

A blue Tizona golf cart was waiting for them outside the Terminus Building. Austin moved to the front seat and held on tight. Sharkey accelerated away from the building, sending gravel spitting backwards. He grabbed the bar for support so he didn't tumble onto the Grand Lawn.

"Chief?” Austin paused a moment to consider his words. “Has something like this ever happened?"

Sharkey negotiated a turn onto the wooded trail. "The action is usually far from Earth, but Command has placed everyone on high alert. No one has ever targeted Legion personnel on a backwater like here, at least not on this scale. Honestly, that’s all we know. However, it appears Star Runners are being targeted throughout Quadrant Eight, not just on Earth."

"Who would do that?"

"Anyone. Zahl Empire. Pirates. It has happened before in the Quadrant, but long before my time. Class was thankfully not in session when we received word. It’s a real pain evacuating the campus and dealing with parents."

"I'm sure."

The cart squeaked to a halt outside the main gate. Four Tizona-blue sedans were parked side-by-side in the lot.

"We going to drive all night?" Austin asked.

Sharkey rolled his eyes. "Well, they certainly don't fly."

It felt like it took an hour to reach the long stretch of Interstate 16 amid a world of endless pine trees broken up by gas stations and fast food restaurants. Sharkey spent his time engrossed in a tablet, furiously typing and swiping through documents while Austin drove. Driving the car felt odd after doing nothing but piloting a Trident fighter for the past few months. By the second hour, he battled fatigue as his thoughts wandered in the silence.

"Bathroom break," Sharkey barked, his voice pounding through the quiet like a jackhammer. He leaned over. "We could use some gas, too."

"Yes, sir."

"No need for that 'sir' crap anymore, Lieutenant. You outrank me and you earned it."

"Yes, sir."

Sharkey watched a transfer truck as they passed. "You know I was hard on you in school, but you understand now."

Austin thought of the hours Sharkey had spent yelling at all of them, of the time he’d spent teaching them survival training. "I do."

"Your training is what helped you save Scorpion and Talon."

He looked at him. "You heard about that?"

"The entire navy in Quadrant Eight heard about that." Sharkey stared forward for a heartbeat. “We’re always briefed on the latest incidents with the Tyral Pirates. That’s a situation that just keeps getting worse.”

Austin felt his chest tighten at the mention of the pirates. “They all need to be destroyed.”

He snorted. “I couldn’t agree more. You know where they are?”

“Of course not.”

“Well, that’s the problem.” Sharkey made a clicking sound with his tongue. “Still, you scrapped with them up close and personal. What was it like?”

Austin remembered Rodon’s taunting voice over the gamma wave. He’d nearly shot down the pirate leader, even hit him with a laser shot despite the disadvantage of carrying Ryker and Nubern. The memory was so fresh, his heart raced, the adrenaline pumping through his veins. The final bolts crashing into Rodon’s ship, ripping apart metal.

But he’d escaped. Some on board the Tarton’s Junction thought Austin should be granted a kill for the effort, but there was no proof. Rodon was most likely still out there, waiting.

“Frustrating,” he finally said. “I should’ve had him.”

“Don’t worry about Rodon,” Sharkey said, folding his arms over his chest and reclining the seat backward. “He’ll get what’s coming to him.”

“But how does he keep doing this?”

“I have no control over what he does. I can only control how I react. Right now, we’re going to save your mother and friend. Let’s worry about the task at hand, and right now, that task is making sure you don’t fall asleep at the wheel. Let me just say I’m grateful you saved my old friend.”

Austin blinked. “You mean Nubern?”

He nodded. “I served with Nubern years ago during his first command."

"You were a Star Runner?"

He nodded. "Until I lost my leg."

"Your leg? What?"

"Wonders of robotics, Lieutenant. One of the reasons I don't leave campus often, so I appreciate this diversion even if it is for unfortunate reasons."

Austin looked back at the road. If Sharkey was ever wounded or needed medical assistance, the discovery of an artificial leg would certainly turn heads in an emergency room.

“May I ask how, sir?” Austin asked, his eyes flickering from the road to Sharkey’s leg.

“Line of duty,” he grumbled, his head swaying toward the window as if he had drifted off to sleep. When he continued speaking, his drowsy voice made it sound as if he talked in his sleep. “I served on a carrier, long time ago. Boring tour at the border. Our task force got involved in preventing a rebellion on Lian; fighting got out of hand. A rogue Zahl warlord decided to take advantage, came in guns blazing, said we were invading the planet. He said he received a distress call and came in for the good of the Empire.”

Austin swallowed, his eyes fixated on the lone road.

“The Zahl interceptors are fast,” Sharkey continued, his eyes still closed, “faster than anything you’d believe. They swept in like a wave, crashing into our picket ships. I was on alert status, so I launched. Bandits filled the space around Lian like a fiery meteor shower. Never seen anything like it before, or since. I did what I could, but they blasted me out of the sky. Ship came apart, piece of metal ripped my leg to shreds. I had to eject, woke up on our ship. Nubern saved me.”

He exhaled. “He’s a good man.”

“The best.”

Austin had never heard anyone speak of a conflict with the Zahl Empire, he had only read about it in his required text. He definitely didn’t know Nubern had faced off against Zahlian forces, not just pirates.

He shook his head, thinking about Pierce’s vague orders. “Once we retrieve my mom and Kadyn, how do we know who to meet?”

“EIF agents can disappear in a crowd like no others. I have some instructions in my tablet. Remember, we’re on strict radio silence—that includes internet. Make sure what you have is offline.” He frowned. “Whole world’s upside down right now, so I’m taking things one hour at a time.”

“I understand,” Austin said, his stomach growling.

"Let's get gas at the next stop," Sharkey said. "We need to move so we can get some coffee. We should get there in time for breakfast."

Up ahead, the massive lights of an exit ramp illuminated the black sky. Austin leaned over the steering wheel, fighting the sudden urge to use the bathroom.

“I never thanked you, Chief.”

“Me?” Sharkey asked. “Why?”

“Your training. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”

Sharkey snickered. “No charge, Stone. I rarely get off that campus and I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. We’ll call it even.”