The Impossible Future: Complete set by Frank Kennedy (mini ebook reader .txt) 📕

settlement deserved what was coming to them. Valentin reached for his weapon twice. Col. Joosten, piloting the Scramjet on a southeast trajectory, brandished a pistol as backup.

Michael brought the tension to a head.

“Yo,” he said. “Everybody. Shut. The. Fuck. Up. Especially you, Aldo. Hey, Joosten, how long to the drop?”

Col. Joosten waited for permission from Valentin.

“Four minutes, fifty seconds.”

“Thanks.” Michael pushed Aldo against the bulkhead. “That’s about how long you got to live. If you don’t agree to this plan, they’re gonna kill you because otherwise, you’re a security risk. If a scout ship drops in close to the planet, you could tell them where you are.” He tapped Aldo’s temple above the stream amp. “And if these dudes don’t waste you, the Jewels will because you’re a Chancellor, and they won’t care if you didn’t have a hand in creating the Berserkers. Aldo, this is gonna be a fucking turkey shoot. I want you safe, and we need your help. It’s a fair bargain. Best I can manage on the fly, anyway.”

Michael stepped back and waited for a response. He understood Aldo’s resentment. In the old man’s place, Michael might respond no differently. Aldo spoke up.

“Can you guarantee the Berserkers will be fried?”

“I’ll do James myself. If we fight the hybrids, the Jewels will see what side we chose. They’ll dust those motherfuckers. But these kids,” he pointed to the soldiers in still-seats, “deserve a chance. Sam and I, we’re like them. I promise, if we win this, Salvation will never pose a threat to the Chancellory again.” He caught Valentin’s raised eyebrow but continued undaunted. “Better yet, you’ll stick it to the Admiralty. You’ll have the last damn word about Hiebimini. Sorry. Aeterna. New name, apparently.”

Aldo chuckled. “They’ll have the last word at my execution.”

“No. It’ll never go there. Aldo, I’ll have your back when it’s over if you’ll have ours today.”

After a quiet moment, Aldo said, “Two conditions. One, when I give an order, I expect their navigator to follow it. Two, after I leave this ship, I never see Valentin Bouchet again.”

Michael pivoted for Valentin’s response. The younger brother found the conditions amusing but consented with a caveat.

“I want you patched into Admiral Kane at all times,” he told Aldo. “Live feed. If you exceed your bounds, he’ll shut you down.”

“And your navigator will probably shoot me. Fair enough.”

Michael backed off. “And, drumroll please. We have a deal! Pretty sure I’m not gonna ask you to shake on this.”

Valentin turned his back and consulted with Joosten. They threw open holocubes and discussed logistics as Joosten brought the Scramjet in for a landing. Aldo whispered to Michael.

“Those children are very small.”

“Yeah, covered that ground already. But they’re devoted and trained, and this armor? Guard flash pegs won’t make a dent.”

“Michael, standing with these terrorists means no way back.”

He shrugged. “I left Earth on a one-way street. It ends here.”

The Scramjet did not land, but the bulkhead pixelated. The ship was hovering at the edge of the river, above muddy soil.

“The drop,” Valentin said. “Wait for Cabrise’s ship then follow the guide. You’re five hundred meters from the eastern edge of JaRa.”

Michael added a wrinkle. He pointed to the rifter he rode onboard earlier. “If you don’t mind, I think she might come in handy. Smooth, quiet ride, if you get my speed.”

Valentin assented. Michael rode it out the cargo hold with Aldo holding on from behind. The Scramjet curled south then west to the city’s industrial sector. Michael steered them into the tall reeds and found solid ground. They hopped off and waited. Michael retracted his helmet and took in the scenery.

“Sorry you won’t have a chance to see their city, Aldo. Valentin showed me the layout. It’s fucking crazy. He says the Jewels grew it out of the planet. It was waiting when they arrived here. You believe that shit?”

“Eh. Why not? It’s no less improbable than anything else I’ve seen.”

Michael took out his pipe. “A serious question, Aldo. What would you think about staying here afterward?”

Aldo coughed at Michael’s ensuing cloud of poltash smoke.

“That is not a serious question.”

“Sure, it is. You said your first love was exobiology. Can you think of a better planet to study? You’ll have first dibs.”

“I thought you said these Jewels would kill someone like me?”

“A technicality. We can sort out the details, I’m sure.”

Aldo leaned against the rifter and rubbed his quad. Michael enjoyed what he assumed to be his last smoke before battle. However, he choked on a puff when he heard the reeds rustling in an unnatural way. He tapped off his pipe, grabbed a blast rifle and told Aldo to get down. He swung about, looking for a target. The rustling seemed to come from every direction, though the breeze was nonexistent.

“The hell?”

One target approached. Man or woman, Michael couldn’t tell. A gray cloak shadowed the visitor. Michael took an aggressive stand and aimed.

“Halt right there, or I put you down.”

The stranger stopped, appeared to look in either direction, which Michael thought was a prelude to the asshole opening fire. Instead, he heard something mind-boggling.

“Hello, Michael. I’m pleased you came so far. You’re the last one.”

“Wait, what? Drop the hood and show me your hands.”

The bedraggled features and knotted gray hair made Aldo Cabrise seem young and sprightly.

“I thought of waiting for you at the edge of the city,” the stranger said. “But they insisted I would be of more use here.” He turned to Aldo. “They were right. They’re always right.” He dropped his arms and continued forward.

“Do you know this man?” Aldo asked Michael.

“Not as well as you, Admiral Aldo Cabrise.”

Aldo took two steps closer, eyeing the stranger with incredulity. The man in gray pivoted to Michael.

“He’ll figure it