Doomsday minus 35 Earth days.
August 12, 2402 C.E., known thereafter as Boomerang Day, because it was the day any ships launched into space came right back to Earth.
They hadn’t intended to. They’d set out on headings that should have taken them to transfer points, or to Gates leading to distant star systems. But no matter in which direction they went, they always found themselves approaching Earth.
Frustrated, Fleet captains demanded explanations from their navigation officers.
Confused, navigation officers contacted one another to compare notes and came up empty. Attempts to communicate with ships outside the Terran system failed. The comm signals bounced straight back, as though they’d hit some kind of barrier.
Dismayed, ships’ crews turned for answers to Fleet Command.
The admiralty had none. Suspicious, they informed the Chair of the High Council.
Alarmed, Patricia Chen convened an immediate emergency meeting and discovered that only three members of the Council remained on Earth: herself, Darwin Buru, and Lynette Ellenshaw. Rhys Amis and Arbo Lugaparathan had departed with their families on one of the last ships to escape the Terran system and could not be recalled. That meant no votes could be taken and nothing could be decided.
“She’s furious and looking for a scapegoat, and you’re the handiest target,” Ellenshaw explained to Juno over the rim of her teacup. She blew gently on the dark liquid to help it cool. “What’s this, again? Orange tea?”
“Orange pekoe. It’s all I could find. I’m not fond of black tea, but this is tolerable as long as it’s sweetened.”
Juno took a sip, briefly wrinkling her nose at its bitter aftertaste. Like everything else in her life these days, it was something she’d settled for, like temporary lodgings. It was good enough for now, but it didn’t feel like home.
Not even her home felt like home since Estrella had left. The clean room was no longer truly clean. Dust had gathered on the furniture, and there were smudges visible on the glass top of the wrought iron coffee table. Still, it was the only place in the mansion in which complete privacy could be assured. And just to be certain, Juno had put a jamming device on the tea tray before carrying it downstairs to her guest.
“I wanted to warn you in case she decides to issue an arrest warrant. Do you have somewhere you can disappear to if need be?”
Half a dozen alternatives flashed through Juno’s mind, ending with Daisy Hub. “No,” she replied wistfully. “I used to, but that’s out of the question now.”
“What about Angeli? Can she help you?”
“I put her on a ship to Stragon last month.”
Ellenshaw frowned. “Juno, if you know anything that explains why we’ve been cut off from the rest of Earth space, I think you ought to share it with the High Council. Keep your sources secret if you want, but more than two billion people are trapped on-world right now and on the edge of panic, wondering whether this is a prelude to the Corvou attack.”
“All right. All I have is a theory, but if it will prevent another wave of rioting… Set up an audience for me with Patricia Chen and I’ll tell her what I think is happening. Then she can decide whether anyone will believe it.”
Two hours later, “You can’t be serious!” Chen declared, staring at her in utter incredulity. “I know aliens don’t think the same way as we do, but trying to protect us by preventing us from leaving a killing field? How does that make any sense at all?”
“If we can’t get out, maybe the enemy can’t get in. Whatever created the barrier was alien technology. Maybe their purpose was to prevent Earth from becoming a killing field in the first place,” Juno reasoned.
“But you don’t know that for sure.”
“No one knows anything for sure. All they’ve got is speculation. And, whether you realize it or not, that gives you total control over the situation. There may be nothing you can do about the barrier, but you can modify people’s reactions to it by doing what the High Council has always done.”
“And that is…?”
“Boot up the propaganda machine. Drown out the doomsday rumors with one that will give people hope and keep everyone calm, at least until the truth becomes too evident to ignore. If my theory is correct, two-thirds of Earth’s original population will survive no matter what. If it’s wrong, there will be no one left to blame you for deceiving them. Politically, it’s a win-win.”
Chen let out her breath as though she’d been holding it. “Lynette was right. You are channeling the spirit of Dennis Forrand.”
“Then you’ll do it?”
“Yes. Once again, you’ve given me no other choice.”
—— «» ——
Doomsday minus 25 Earth days.
Townsend glanced up from the report he’d been editing and found Robert O’Malley standing in front of his desk, wearing a worried frown.
“Is there a problem, O’Malley?”
“I’m not sure, but if there is, it could be something horrific.”
The kid paused. Townsend imagined a drum roll.
Finally, O’Malley said, “I’ve lost contact with Earth.”
“What does that mean, exactly? Messages are being returned unopened? Nobody is answering back? What?”
“All of the above. According to the communications array at the Gate nearest the Terran system, the comm relay station inside the system cannot be found.”
“So, the relay is down. Is there a workaround?”
“There are two other transmission routes, and two other relay stations, which are also down. Or maybe they’re gone. Maybe the Corvou have already—!”
“Stop thinking that way. I’m sure there’s a rational explanation for this. Meanwhile, how many of our crew have been keeping in contact with family on Earth?”
“Out of forty-six, maybe eighteen.”
“All right. Tell them there are technical difficulties preventing responses from the Terran system, but it’s a temporary situation.”
“You really think they’ll swallow that?”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s the truth. They’ll believe what they want, and what they want to believe is that their family members are safe. So you’re going to give that to them. Understood?”
“You got it, boss.” No grin this time, no wink or mischievous tilt of the head. The kid was positively grim.
Struck by a sudden thought, Townsend turned and called out, “Ruby, is Odysseus on the station?”
“He was, Chief. I’ll check. If I can find him, what do you want me to tell him?”
“Ask him to come speak with me at his earliest convenience.” Addressing O’Malley, he added, “Leave this with me. I’ll see whether I can clear up the mystery and set everyone’s mind at ease.”
Two hours later, the Mitradean scuttled off the tube car and over to Townsend’s desk. Raising himself to stand balanced on his rearmost legs and bifurcated tail, he extended his eyestalks so that he was looking down on the station manager.
Drew quashed the impulse to get to his feet.
“The Townsend-Human wishes a conference?” said the manufactured baritone voice of the alien’s translation device.
“Yes. When you and Karlov came back from reconnaissance earlier, he reported that the Coravon system had disappeared, and you suggested that the Kularian brotherhood had probably wrapped it up in a pocket of space. We’ve just lost contact with Earth. Is it possible the Kularians could have done the same thing to the Terran system?”
“Yes. The Great Council uses isolation as a punishment. The brotherhood uses it for protection only. To conceal.”
“But if they isolated Coravon to conceal it… You’re saying it was for the Corvou’s protection?”
“Yes. Protection from Humans and friends of Humans. And now protection for the Human home world from the Corvou. So the war can be won but both races will survive.”
The implications of this struck Townsend like a hammer blow to the skull. Earth High Council’s strategy had been completely backward. By evacuating as many as possible off-world, they had actually been putting more Humans in harm’s way. And now it was too late to recall any of them, because Earth wasn’t there anymore. It was safe and sound in a pocket universe, while a dozen transfer points, twenty hubs, and thirty-four colonies sat virtually unprotected, scattered throughout Earth space.
Warmaster Vixor ban Jorisam would have to devise an entirely new fighting strategy.
And House Daisy Hub no longer had to worry about Humanity’s extinction — when the time came, the station’s crew would be fighting to save themselves.
The more things changed…