CHAPTER NINE

The light rail train travelled from the Tuscany Station in Northwest Calgary towards the downtown core, its body a giant solar panel that continually collected energy . Coulter’s generation was amazed that the potential of solar energy had been ignored so long. It had taken the near devastation of the environment to finally convince politicians that saving the planet, was just as important as getting re-elected.  

Coulter’s eyes scanned the train’s compartment, searching for Lucia. She told him to meet her after his last class on Friday. She didn’t tell him exactly where to meet her, just to take the light rail train downtown.

“How’s it going ?”

Coulter looked to his left where Lucia stood smiling at him. Her Latino accent had disappeared and her hair style had changed. She was apparently wearing contact lenses, because her brown eyes were now green. “You should really be more attentive.”

She tapped Coulter’s elbow. “We’re getting off now.”

As they walked across the platform, Lucia handed him a card. “This is a pre-loaded debit card, that you can use during training. It would be more convenient if the credits were downloaded directly into your personal account, but then it could be traced. Your task today is to

return to the Space Academy and go to the Meditation Centre, without allowing me to take a photo of you.  Remember, if I’m close enough to take a clear photo of you, then I’m close enough to kill you.”

Lucia pointed at the digital arrival board. “The next train will be here in two minutes and I’ll be getting on for three stops. That will give you a head start.”

Coulter smiled confidently. “You may lose this one.”   

She leaned close and whispered into Coulter’s ear. “I don’t like to lose. In this line of work, losing means you die.”

As Lucia waited for the next train, Coulter turned and rushed through the crowd towards the end of the platform. Finding a nearby building with a Sky Taxi Service logo, he entered, and ran to the nearest express elevator. Moments later, he stepped onto a sheltered waiting area on the roof. He was in luck, an empty sky taxi was waiting.

As he climbed inside the drone, Coulter tapped the meter with the debit card to pay for the flight, and told the autopilot where to take him. The computer replied that it could land closer to the Space Academy, if that was his destination. Coulter repeated that he wanted to put down in a nearby park.

As he attached the seat belt, Coulter listened to the sky taxi’s computer repeat the standard safety procedures and company policy regarding limited liability. As he replied, “accept,” the sky taxi lifted off from the roof. The buildings grew smaller as the sky taxi rose higher, travelling toward the Northwest quadrant of the city.

According to Coulter’s plan, the sky taxi would touch down in the park near the Space Academy. Surrounded by a wall of thick forest, it  was the only place where he could hope to approach the Academy without Lucia spotting him.

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As promised, Lucie waited for three stops before she left the train A couple of minutes later she walked into to an alley between two buildings. After scanning for unwanted attention, she threw her oversized clothing into a waste bin, revealing a compact flying system. She spread her arms, locking light-weight wings into place. A safety harness attached a jet to her back. The system was controlled by a small device attached to the underside of the right wing.

As she adjusted a visor with a heads-up display, Lucia took one quick glance to make sure no one had entered the alley. She checked for vehicles flying overhead. Normally the flight system would warn other vehicles of her approach, but she had turned off the system’s transponder, which was illegal. Lucia took a breath to calm herself and spoke to the flight suit’s control system, “Full power.”

Seconds later, Lucia was arching across the sky. It felt like her stomach was still in the alley. The first few seconds were always the most nerve wracking, but the only way to avoid being filmed by someone’s phone, was to travel straight up at full velocity. Even if you were filmed, you’d just be a blur. The downside was that if you crossed in front of a flying vehicle you hadn’t spotted, there would be no time to avoid a collision.

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As the sky taxi touched down, Coulter leapt out and ran into the thick forest.  As he disappeared among the trees, he checked to make sure he was alone. It was one of the few areas in the city where you could find some privacy from the ubiquitous surveillance cameras and bright street lights. He didn’t want to interrupt a couple having sex, or get mugged.

Coulter understood that Lucia might expect him to approach the Space Academy through the park, but he only had so many options. If the sky taxi dropped him off on a rooftop landing pad, Lucia would see him getting out. He hoped that he had arrived first., but he had no idea how fast she could travel across the city.  

Coulter watched the roads surrounding the Academy, but saw no movement. He glanced up. Nothing. It was getting dark, if she used a sky taxi or a personal flying vehicle, he’d see the flashing safety lights. Keeping low, he moved quietly through the trees that lined the main road leading to the academy. A few minutes later he was directly across from the Meditation Centre.

Grinning in anticipation of his victory, he  sprinted across the roadway. He was less than a meter away form the entrance when Lucia stepped out from behind a hedge. She held up a data pad, showing a picture of him. “Congratulations Coulter, you’re dead.”

Coulter stared at the flight suit. “I didn’t see any safety lights.”

Lucia shrugged. “I disabled them.”

“That’s illegal.”

“And your point is....”

“You’re not playing fair.”

“Now, why would I do something stupid like that? If I played fair, I might lose.” 

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Coulter’s training schedule was intense and unpredictable. Lucia would find him leaving classes at the end of the day or call him in the middle of the night. A session could last several minutes or several hours.

It didn’t matter where he was, day or night, Lucia might appear and expect Coulter to remember where and when he saw her last.  She would ask him to describe the colour of her hair and eyes, and whether he could distinguish her ethnicity by her clothing or skin colour. She would also expect him to remember her approximate, age, weight and height.  He wasn’t permitted to record any of the information, because any device could be hacked.    

And then it was Coulter’s turn to try and avoid detection. He learned how to add layers of synthetic skin to change the shape of his nose and ears, he used tinted contact lenses, and applied

make-up to change his skin colour. It was challenging, Lucia might give him instructions to change his appearance four times in an hour while walking through downtown Calgary. 

Although he hated doing it, the only way to prove his disguises really worked, was to walk past friends and family without being recognized. He felt like a fraud, but it increased his confidence, knowing he could move about incognito. There might come a day when he’d have to  move through space stations, without becoming familiar to the security guards. 

Unlike martial arts classes at the Academy, Lucia didn’t teach Coulter control techniques used to make arrests. He wasn’t training to become part of a ship’s security detail.  

Lucia showed Coulter how to kill aliens, based on how weight influenced their center of gravity, how thick their skin or scales were, and where their internal organs were located. He had to assume there would be times he’d be cornered, and have no choice, but to fight.    

One of the many unpleasant realities Coulter had to accept, was that he might not be able to communicate with the aliens he encountered. There were some alien languages that couldn’t be translated. If he was arrested, his translator might be the first thing his captors took from him. His translator might also be stolen, damaged or lost. Apparently, Murphy’s Law was universal.    

Coulter trained in an underground bunker, which in previous generations, had been used as a nuclear fallout shelter for government officials. He learned how to use several types of laser rifles and also how to construct his own weapons.   

Lucia couldn’t give Coulter many details about the mission, but said he might be tortured;  that’s why a small tablet was implanted against the inside of one of his molars. All Coulter had to do was push against it with his tongue for twenty seconds, and it would release a poison that would kill him instantly. 

It was hoped that Coulter would return safely to Earth, but there were no guarantees. As Lucia had reminded Coulter time and time again, once he accepted the assignment, his life was no longer his own.

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Coulter’s parents were in the backyard as he arrived with Lucia. For the last three months he’d been busy training during evenings and weekends, claiming he had a security job.  They didn’t think the job was necessary, but he still had good marks, and perhaps it would look good on his resume. His parents made it very clear that if his marks suffered, he’d have to give it up.

“Hi, this is Lucia.”

Coulter’s parents looked at each other. Sandra gave Coulter a sly smile. “I thought you were working tonight, Casanova.”

Coulter held up his hands. “Oh no, it’s not like that, she’s way too old for me.”

Lucia raised an eyebrow. “Way too old?”

His father Reggie laughed. “Do you want to borrow a shovel, so you can dig yourself a deeper hole?”

“It’s all right,” replied Lucia, “I’m not interested in Coulter’s social skills.”

Sandra wasn’t laughing. “Oh really? What parts of Coulter are you interested in?”

Lucia watched as a drone flew past their backyard. “I can explain, but we have to go in the house. Anyone can paint a logo on a drone, so you’ll think it’s delivering sneakers. You can never tell who’s operating those things, or what they’re recording.”

Once they were inside, Lucia opened her jacket just wide enough so Reggie and Sandra could see the badge inside. It was a symbol they were both familiar with. Reggie had seen it serving in the Earth Defence Patrol. Sandra had seen it while studying for her PhD in Political Science.

Reggie looked at Coulter. “So, you’re either you’re in some very serious trouble, or you’re dating a spy.” 

“She’s my trainer,” Coulter said.

Reggie sat down on a sofa. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “The Earth Security Division has training facilities in Barcelona, Beijing, Moscow, New York, and Montreal. Nothing here in Calgary.”

“We needed to recruit someone,” answered Lucia, “who hasn’t been chipped. There’s a  possibility that our computers have been hacked.”

Sandra sat down, next to her husband. “Government data is encrypted using quantum computers, they’re supposed to be secure.”

“That’s right,” Lucia replied, “they should be one hundred percent secure.”  

“Do you think someone has taken a bribe?” Reggie asked.   

“We don’t think so,” Lucia replied, “but because it’s possible, we need someone who’s off the grid.”

Sandra glared at Lucia. “Are talking about some type of mission? Coulter just celebrated his twenty-first birthday. I was hoping he’d have a few more.” 

Lucia paused. “This is about Caslem. One of the terrorists was injured during the attack and a small blood smear was found.”

“Who was it?” demanded Reggie. “Those bastards killed my sister.”

Lucia glanced at Coulter. “I have clearance to disclose that to Coulter, but no one else.”

“It’s safe enough in here,” Sandra said.

“Do you ever get flies in the house?” asked Lucia.

Sandra shrugged. “Oh course. So what?”

“We have drones that record video and sound that are as small as a house fly. That’s how difficult it is to keep secrets. The only reason I’m here, is because Coulter insisted I speak to you, and we need him.”

Coulter took a deep breath to calm himself, unsure of his parent’s reaction. “I’m going to reject the Admirals’ offer to join the Earth Defence Patrol, and join the crew of a deep space freighter instead.”

Reggie crossed his arms. “You’ll be turning down a great career.”  

“I don’t want to find out that our son is buried on some distant planet, or that he’s rotting in an alien prison,” Sandra added, “but he has to choose his own path. The only question that remains, is whether or not it’s worth the sacrifice.”

“I’m going to kill them,” replied Coulter.

Reggie met his son’s eyes. “I’ve never had to kill anyone and I hope I’ll never have to. It’s one thing to say you’re going to kill, and another thing entirely, to actually do it.”

“Your father is right,” Lucia said. “I know agents who have killed. You’re never really quite the same afterwards. They get nightmares. But it doesn’t mean they regret what they did. What we have asked Coulter to do, is make sure the Caslem terrorists pay for their crimes, without starting a war.”

Sandra glared at Lucia. “You’re tying to get our son whipped up into an emotional frenzy, telling him he’ll be a hero.”

“It’s about Aunt Angela,” replied Coulter.

Reggie looked at his son. “My sister is gone, your death won’t bring her back.”  

“Do you really want the terrorists, who killed all those innocent people on Caslem, to benefit from what they did?” Coulter was shaking. “Everything in this universe revolves around profit. They didn’t do it for free. Right now they’re living the good life, enjoying their blood money.”

Reggie looked at his son. “I understand what you’re saying, and it’s your choice. You’ll have to live with the consequences.”  

“So will we,” Sandra added, “if we lose our son.”

“Are you trying to change my mind?” asked Coulter.

“No,” replied Reggie, “but don’t expect us to be happy about the situation. It’s not everyday that your son says he’s leaving, and he might not be coming home.”

“This is a lot of information to process,” added Sandra.

Coulter looked at his father. “You’ve served in the Earth Defense Patrol for twenty-seven years. Why did you keep going out, despite the obvious dangers?”

He looked at this mother. “Did you ever try and convince Dad to resign? He could have found a safer job on Earth.”

“No, because I knew that for him, it was the right choice,” Sandra replied. “Are you sure this is the right choice for you?”   

“I’ve never been so sure,” replied Coulter.

Sandra looked at Lucia. “So, what do you need from us?”

“A performance,” Lucia answered, “a drama better than Shakespeare could write. When Coulter rejects the Admiral’s offer at the graduation reception, everyone has to know how pissed off you are.”

Reggie forced a strained smile. “That won’t be difficult.”

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Coulter and his sister moved away from the Space Academy’s main entrance. He wanted a moment to talk to her before the graduation ceremony began; trying to prepare her for the coming storm.

“You’re going to what?” Jessie asked.

“I’m going to turn down the Admiral’s offer, for a position in the Officer Training Program. I don’t want to follow Dad into the Earth Defence Patrol; I want to see the universe. I’m going to find a job on a deep space freighter.”

“Dad is going to freak out!”

Coulter adjusted the collar on his Academy uniform. His shirt, soaked with sweat, stuck to his back under the tunic. “Yeah, he won’t be happy.”

“Dad and the Admiral go way back. Turning down an offer from one of his old friends....”

“I have to follow my own path.”

Angela stepped closer and whispered. “Well if you follow that path of yours, you won’t be getting any inheritance, it will all go to me.”

“Do you think Dad will cut me out of the will?”

“No, but you can’t inherit anything, if you’re dead.”

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“Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is?” Reggie demanded.

Coulter and his father faced each other in a hallway, just outside the reception for graduates and their families. They wanted to be close enough for people to hear their conversation, but far enough away, to appear they didn’t want to make a scene.

“I have to follow my own path.”

“You own path.... Bullshit! I encouraged you to come here, because the Academy teaches dedication to duty, and honour. The Admiral offered you the opportunity to join the Earth Defence Patrol, as a junior officer! That means you’d be groomed for command, your own vessel. You had a chance to make a difference, to serve humanity, to save lives.”

“I can still make a difference!”

“If you don’t get killed or end up addicted to some alien drug, the only difference you’ll make, is to your bank account.  Don’t give me that crap about following your own path, you’re just following the profits.”

Coulter opened his mouth, but his father lifted a warning hand. “Don’t waste your breath, I don’t want to hear it.”  

Since no one was in the mood to celebrate, the family left early, and walked to the parking lot. Flying home, the sky car was as quiet as a morgue. 

As far as his friends were concerned, Coulter’s plan was to earn lots of credits to pay off his student loan, and then return to start his own business. With his experience, he could become an independent cargo broker for deep space freighters. Successful brokers were extremely wealthy. Everyone was aware how pissed off Coulter’s father was, after his son rejected the offer from The Admiral.

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It wasn’t until the day finally came, that Coulter realized there was one thing he dreaded worse than anything else; worse that the time away from family, worse that the thought of death.  Saying good-bye to Francine was the hardest thing he had ever forced himself to do. He met her at their favourite coffee shop downtown and later they went for a walk along Memorial Drive. Coulter felt as if his heart had been put through a meat grinder. When Francine hugged him, it felt so good, he never wanted it to end. Was there something more than friendship? He thought

she was beautiful, and there was no one he would rather spend his time with. Wasn’t that the definition of love?

He watched as Francine lifted off in her parent’s sky car and disappeared in the distance. Now he let the tears flow. There was a very good chance he would never see her again.

Perhaps this was the greatest sacrifice.  

Coulter stepped aside as a couple and their two children rode past on bicycles. He watched them, and wondered how many families had lost loved ones on Caslem.  He looked up at the sky and whispered, “I’m coming for you, whatever the cost.”