Stupid, shitty UN!
Arthur growled under his breath. He shivered and tugged at the collar of his uniform. Why the hell were they heading out at nightfall? He snorted. It must have been "day" on Lunar Base.
His teeth chattered as he looked around the growing crowd of UN military personal. So many for the bloody death trap world. Arthur frowned and looked over the group once more. His frown melted into a scowl. The UN were more bastards with how young everyone was here. The towering boy nearby couldn't have been more than eighteen or nineteen years old despite his impressive height. He'd yet to finish filling out and stood a little scrawny.
When the boy did fill out, he was one person Arthur didn't want to be on the bad side of. There was no denying the boy would have wide shoulders and an imposing figure.
A familiar figure flashed at the edge of Arthur's vision. He turned. Sure enough, his gaze fell over a woman he'd served beside during his time on Lunar Base.
"Tabitha!" Arthur called. He raced forward.
The woman turned. One eyebrow raised. She blinked. "My god, Arthur? Arthur Asran?"
"The one and only." Arthur grinned and wagged his finger. "Unless you mean to tell me you forgot all about me after leaving Lunar Base. Wow, I mean, I didn't know I was that forgettable."
"Please, it's only been nine years, Asran." Tabitha shook her head. Her sharp gaze rested on his rankings. "I see you're still disregarding orders."
"And you're by the book as always, judging by those rankings." Arthur's grin widened. "And now taken." He winked at the ring on her finger. "Who's the lucky man?"
A small smile flitted over her face as her cheeks reddened. "Doctor Kayson Williams."
The name struck an accord with Arthur. "Ah, the lead diseases guy." Or at least this is what he had gathered from Sonya when she had spoken of Doctor Williams.
Tabitha's lips twitched, gaze darkening. "Your way with words is just as poor as it's always been, Asran." She shook her head. "My husband also happens to be the second in the medical staff for this project."
Arthur laugh. "So, he's an important disease guy." He rubbed the back of his head.
A sharp breath came from Tabitha. Her teeth ground. "You're not lightening my mood, Private."
"Well, duh," – Arthur smirked – "you're scowling, not smiling. It's just a new button."
Her eye twitched. "I also happen to be your superior."
"Hmm, so, you are."
"And this will never bug you." She rubbed her eyes, shaking her head.
"Nope!"
"Of course." A small sigh escaped her. "We will have to continue this later. The briefing is about to start." She nodded to him, turned, and strode to where another lieutenant stood.
Red rimmed his white uniform which marked him as a member of the political sect of the UN.
Arthur fell in line. The space to his right was empty. Not that this mattered much. It was just strange given the row ahead and behind him had a person standing there. Someone must have been missing from the lineup.
"Listen up!" Tabitha called them to order.
A shadow slipped into the space beside him.
Arthur bit back the urge to glance the person. His eyes remained locked on Tabitha and Shane, no matter how dull the subject matter was.
"When we reach the Lunar Base…"
Ah, so it was just crap over how not to be stupid on the base. It was important but Arthur had heard it almost every day back when he worked security there. Well, at least the days he had stand guard near the docking bay and everyone new was being briefed on the safety of the base.
He scowled. Just great. Here he could have had a few precious moments more with his wife than with this. Nothing had changed since he'd last been on Lunar Base.
No.
Arthur shoved down his thoughts. There was a good reason he was going beyond the orders. He had to keep this in mind.
To be with his wife. To have, at long last, a child with her.
Yet, this was still a dull briefing he could have done without. And the UN were still bastards for getting Sonya to come the way they had. Arthur was no one's bloody tool. This mission could result in all their deaths and the UN was well aware of this when they had transferred him. The bastards. They only wanted Sonya and not him.
His hand balled into a fist.
Tabitha ended the briefing.
Arthur fell in line. He took his seat, a window seat, and a small smile flickered over his lips. A bright side in the whole mess, how nice of them to give him the window seat. He grunted. Sure, it was nice. But there was never much to look at on the way up to Lunar Base.
His gaze flickered to the two men who had followed him into the row.
The first was rather lanky, still young as well judging by the youth in his narrow features. His skin was coppery and hair dark. There was an elegance in the way he moved as he lifted a tablet.
A coiled viper, perhaps? Ha, nah, that was far too easy of a description. Arthur frowned. A cat then? His movement had been softer than a viper's and far more graceful.
The man who had followed behind the other, couldn't have been older than his late teens. Only just old enough to even enter the military. He towered over both Arthur and the first man.
This was amusing. They were seated by age and by height.
His lips twitched.
The oldest just happened to be the shortest.
The shuttle lurched.
Arthur leaned back in his seat as the shuttle sped up.
Another lurch made his heart drop as gravity lifted. They were off, heading for Lunar Base. He scowled. Then to Mars.
A small shadow of a smile flickered over the face of the man beside him. A smile of all bloody things. Yet, considering how even and blank the man's features had been, perhaps this was him whooping with joy.
"You look far too happy about this," Arthur muttered.
The man's gaze turned to him. His smile melted. The look was now more akin to robot than a human.
Okay, he would never ever comment about this guy smiling ever again!
"Apologies." The man bowed his head. His voice was smooth with the slightest hint of an Indian accent to it. There was nothing else. No emotion, just nothing.
A shiver raced down Arthur's spin. What the hell? He would take the small smile this man had shown over this any day. Perhaps he could get it back. Or just get any emotion from this machine-like figure.
Arthur cracked a smile and forced a chuckle. "Hey, now, just because I'm not here by choice doesn't mean you can't be all excited about it."
Nothing. The man didn't even raise a brow in disapproval. He really was a machine.
All right, new tact!
Arthur held out his hand. "I'm Private Arthur Asran. It looks like we'll be working together." He nodded to the blue rimming the man's uniform even as the chill clinging to Arthur deepened. Just what he needed: a robot superior. Another to add to list of those to avoid if he couldn't get this man to show any emotion.
The younger man slid his hand into Arthur's.
Arthur's heart lurched.
The grip was weak, far too weak for someone this man's age and on the security team, let alone in the military. If Arthur squeezed, he could very break the poor boy's hand.
Arthur widened his smile. It had to be enough to hide the sudden lurching of his heart behind his "laughing" eyes, as his wife called this smile.
"Solomon."
Wait, what?
Arthur blinked and frowned as he took a closer look at the boy's face. It couldn't be, could it?
"As in the lieutenant whose father is the bigtime rep from India for the UN?"
Solomon's eyes narrowed. He slid his hand from Arthur's. Outside of his eyes narrowing for a heartbeat, his features remained straight, expressionless. He turned his gaze to the front of the shuttle.
"So it seems," Solomon stated.
Whoa, hold a sec, did Arthur just find a button? Oh, perhaps he could get another glimpse of who this guy was if he pressed it.
"A real, honest to god, rich boy." Arthur laughed. He had really found it, away to breath this emotionless wall around Solomon and reveal who he was underneath. "Never thought I'd be meeting you here, of all assignments. Doesn't your father keep you grounded?"
The corner of Solomon's lip twitched. A hint of a scowl which vanished less than a breath later.
Yup, it was a button. Pressing harder could just reveal more about him. It could bring down the wall. Yet, why was this a button? Being on Earth was a great assignment even in the mines. It was safer than Lunar Base and way safer than Mars or the stations around Earth.
"I thought you did whatever assignments your rich dad bought you. You know, the easy stuff. This isn't easy or safe stuff."
Nothing. Not even the hint of the scowl. Though his eyes flickered a little from the slightest movement of his eyelids. Annoyance, perhaps?
To explain! "I honestly didn't mean to upset you over it. It's a fact. You're a rich boy, just like I'm—"
"I honestly don't mind," Solomon interrupted him. "Call me whatever you like, Private Asran."
What?
Arthur stared.
Did Solomon just handover the rights to all him "rich boy"?
Wow! Permission to press a button.
Arthur smirked. "Permission to call you 'rich boy,' sir? My, I wasn't excepting you to just hand over the rights."
No response.
Really?
This guy was harder than if Arthur was trying to crack a real wall with his bare foot.
Another attempt at being friendly.
Arthur clapped his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Well, then, Rich Boy, why are you so happy about this damned assignment? You know how easy it is to die on Mars, right?"
"I'm aware," Solomon's tone turned blunt. "How I feel about this assignment is none of your concern." Solomon lifted the tablet.
Arthur winced.
The wall had just shattered ever bone in his foot.
Great.
He leaned back in his seat.
His foot would heal, but it was a shame Solomon's wall remained steadfast around him. It was odd. There was no reason a boy who had everything: money, power to do whatever he wanted, and so forth, would ever have such a wall to begin with. It was all wrong. As if he had been so greatly wounded the wall was all he had to cling to. His only shield against a world Arthur had never known and never wanted to.
The shuttle flew into the dock of Lunar Base without a hitch.
A small sigh fled Arthur's lips. Arthur stood.
It was for the best to avoid Solomon as much as possible until he figured out a way to see passed the man's barrier. People like Solomon were no fun to tease.
Though, he was most likely assigned to the same bunk area as Solomon and the other boy before Solomon. This was proving to be the worst assignment even before he'd left the shuttle.
x – Solomon – x
The appeared so far. A distant orb illuminating the night sky. Even is light was muted by the artificial lights surround the launch pad for the first shuttle to Lunar Base.
Solomon's heart flickered. His gaze snapped away from the beauty of the next step before Mars to the platform. There was no sign of anyone trying to stop him. Nothing of his father's personal security force or the head of UN's. Both were likely, yet, neither was there.
Good. So far nothing was stopping Solomon from heading to Mars. His plan to hack his father's computer and put in Solomon's transfer had gone without a hitch.
Too well really.
Solomon's credentials were good. His doctorates in several fields would make him invaluable add in the fact he was trained as a security officer and his rank would place him as one of the highest on the security team just under Lieutenant Tabitha Williams who was acting Lieutenant Colonel Abel Nightlord's second in command.
Yes, Solomon would be an asset to the colony. One the UN would see no reason in removing. Especially given… given his condition was kept under wraps by his family. The only ones who would have been informed of it or had the clearance to know were Captain Lilith Sahl and her second Doctor Kayson Williams. Perhaps the other three in the command staff could be informed as well.
His heart flickered.
Solomon let out a shuddering breath.
It didn't matter. In the here and now what mattered was he would be heading for Mars.
The recycled air filled Solomon's lungs, cooler than if it had been day. It was sweeter than normal. The taste of being free of his family. Almost free of them.
Voices filled the night.
Solomon turned to see the others had started to arrive. All of the military personal were gathering on the launch deck. A few milled around while they waited. It seemed a few of them knew one another already given he could make out them talking from here.
The two seconds to Major Cain Nightlord and Lieutenant Colonel Abel Nightlord soon broke off talking with others and moved to the head of the crowd. It was time to start preparing for heading to Lunar Base.
Solomon glanced at the tablet to see where he was among the crowd. He moved and slid into place unnoticed even after Lieutenant Williams started to brief them.
The less attention he drew to himself, the less likely it was his father would learn where Solomon was. Though, it was rather strange his father hadn't been informed and tried to stop Solomon from disgracing the family further.
Disgrace? Was his health so disgraceful? There was nothing Solomon could do to change the hand dealt him. Not even the best doctors in the world could help save his life. Lengthen it, yes. Save him from a slow painful death as his own body tore itself apart, no.
But his final day would be spent far from the tormented cage Earth had become, on Mars.
Solomon followed an older man onto the shuttle. His heart raced.
Soon now.
Solomon took his seat and kept his gaze locked ahead.
Soon he would be on Lunar Base. If he was careful to not drew his father's attention, then he would be heading for Mars next.
One more and a day separated Solomon from seeing another world.
The shuttle lurched.
His heart surged, swelling as his lips twitched. They were off, heading for the moon. Then…
Mars.
"You look far too happy about this," the soft muttered words tickled Solomon's ears.
Solomon glanced to his left. The older man he'd followed was seated by the window; dark eyes locked on Solomon. A small hint of scowl played at the corners of his lips.
Solomon straightened his features. He must have smiled.
The man stiffened.
"Apologies." Solomon bowed his head to the older man.
The older man shifted. Unnerved by Solomon as everyone else he had met since the fateful day Solomon had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
The man cracked a smile. A soft, forced chuckle fell from his lips. "Hey, now, just because I'm not here by choice doesn't mean you can't be all excited about it." He held out his hand. "I'm Private Arthur Asran. It looks like we'll be working together." He tilted his head towards the blue lining Solomon's uniform. Several strands of his bark hair fell into his face. To call his look "neat" would have been a lie as his hair had the look of a man who had kept running his fingers through it until it was stuck in a tangled, spikey mess.
Solomon took his hand.
Arthur paled a little. The look vanished as he grinned, eyes glittering with the sudden emotion.
"Solomon."
Arthur blinked. "As in the lieutenant whose father is a bigtime rep from India for the UN?"
Solomon's eyes narrowed. Of course, this again. His hand slipped from Arthur's. Another to judge Solomon because of what his father was. He didn't choose his family. No one could simply choose who they were born to. If so, Solomon would have chosen another family. Not the one who disliked him, believed he was nothing more than a blighted shame staining their family's good name.
"So it seems." Solomon forced his jaw to relax.
Arthur's eyes brightened. "A real, honest to god, rich boy." Arthur laughed. "Never thought I'd be meeting you here, of all assignments. Doesn't your father keep you grounded?"
Solomon's lip twitched. The mere fact someone he had never met before knew Solomon's father paid the military to give Solomon the easiest assignments showed just how wide the rumor around him had spread. This was far from shocking. Many he served with in the past were well aware his father had paid for him to get the easy assignments others had worked tirelessly to get to.
"I thought you did whatever assignments your rich dad bought you. You know, the easy stuff. This isn't easy or safe stuff."
Yes, whatever his father assigned him to get through without question. Whatever little, easy task or easy base, anything for his father as far as the military was concerned. Not this time. This time Solomon had hacked to have a choice in the matter. Sure, no one had a choice where they were assigned. Not unless their father was a representative and picked every assignment for them.
"I honestly didn't mean to upset you," Arthur continued. "It's a fact. You're a rich boy, just like I'm—"
"I honestly don't mind." Solomon did mind. Yet, this had to be the way to get this man to shut up. To stop digging into the past he had no right to know. "Call me whatever you like, Private Asran."
Arthur gaped. His expression melted into a wide grin. "Permission to call you 'rich boy,' sir? My, I wasn't excepting you to just hand over the rights."
It would mean being called such whenever they were working together. Not that this mattered much. "Rich boy" was far from the worst thing Solomon had ever been called. The name did relate back to his family, to his father.
No, it didn't matter if the name related back to his family. It would remind him why he had done this, why it was so important to—
Solomon stiffened as a hand clapped his shoulder.
"Well, then, Rich Boy, why are you so happy about this damned assignment? You know how easy it is to die on Mars, right?"
"I'm aware. How I feel about this assignment is none of your concern." Solomon lifted the tablet. This had to be a clear sign to the man he didn't want to speak. Besides Solomon hadn't finished going over the files he'd been sent given the assignment had been late in coming in.
The shuttle jarred as it landed in one of the hangers.
There was a brief briefing before they were dismissed for the night.
After he had left the others, a peaceful silence fell around Solomon. The silence was broken only by the sound of his boots against the metal floor. He was close to an observation room. It was in an area of the base labeled for low gravity. This room would have a view of the ship. This placed it close enough to the ship, Solomon would be able to avoid the ceremony tomorrow with no one being the wiser.
Solomon moved into the room. The door hissed closed behind him.
A breath escaped him. This was amazing. He flexed his fingers. The pain had lessened the moment he had crossed into the lower gravity room. If this was the case, then going off world would have felt great earlier in his life as well. Yet, there still had to be a reason the doctors hadn't wanted him to leave Earth. A reason which didn't have to do with what his father wanted.
Solomon landed near the window. Night pressed heavily on this side of the moon. He could only just make out a small piece of the ship, highlighted by lights beyond the window. The artificial light illuminated the barren landscape beyond. It was beautiful, even with the ground churned by the trampling of many feet.
Stars were drowned out by the both the lights and the light of Earth even if he could see the planet right now. The light would have been enough even on this side of the moon to make it impossible to see the stars.
Solomon settled himself on the floor. He tucked his legs under him.
Such a breath-taking view.
It was time to go over personal files. At least he would then learn just who Arthur Asran was outside of what he had gleamed from the man on the way here. There was also information on his commanding officers, Tabitha Williams and Abel Nightlord, he would like to go over.
There wasn't much over Arthur outside of the fact he had tendency to ignore orders and take matters as a more relaxed view. It appeared the only reason he was still in the military was because of who his wife was. The UN would have wanted to be able to pull him onto this project through reassignment to get at his wife.
Of course, they would. The UN didn't respect people, even Solomon was more a tool in the eyes Isaac Butler than a person. Even if he had stayed on Earth, the man would have found uses for Solomon until he died.
It was, after all, Isaac who controlled the UN from the shadows and not the nations representatives as many believed.
Arthur was skilled in duel wielding guns. This would only come in as important if they were needed in a combat situation. As he was a member of the security team it was possible. But in the now it wouldn't matter. It was unlikely they would see much action.
More times than naught the only times soldiers fought were when they were assigned to the few mines left on Earth. Arthur had been. The term for such soldiers were hire guns. The UN's pet dogs set to kill any enhanced humans who rebelled.
At least this showed they hadn't wasted a slot on the security team just to get as Sonya.
As if Solomon was one to talk there. His own combat ability was lacking. Given his physical, health exceptions had been made to get him into the military. Most of it had to do with the UN wanting full control over him and his mind. As a soldier, he was duty bound to obey orders.
Solomon pulled a ring from his pocket.
The right was nothing special when one just looked at it. The silvery band split around a small red "gem." It wasn't a real gem, and neither was the metal silver. Rather it was made of steel and the gem was glass meant to focus the beam which could be shot from the ring.
The ring wasn't just something aesthetically pleasing to look at. While it could pass as ring he had seen his father wear, this was a genetic weapon bound to his own genetics. He had made it in his early teens. A phase he'd gone through while reading all of Doctor Thomas Hall's research into genetics, especially the published works in regard to the genetic weapon Doctor Hall had made: The Sword of Gae Bolg. Though the device looked more akin to spear than a sword and appeared as a rod when in its deactivated state.
Solomon had done his best to try and figure out how such a genetic weapon was built and spent hours in his room making this.
The "gem" glowed as Solomon slipped it onto his middle finger.
With this he wouldn't be in the way if a fight broke out.
The ring weighed on his finger, heavier than he remembered it having been years ago.
It was right, the moment he left home, to put the ring on at long last. None would care it was an unregistered weapon if Solomon could use it for the betterment of the colony.
Solomon glanced at the time on his tablet.
The celebration would be starting in less than an hour. The night had passed while he had researched those he would serve beside. Not that he would have slept as it was. If he had been discovered and returned to his father during the night, returned to Isaac for whatever the leader of the UN wanted with him… No, it had been for the best to remain awake.
And there would be no turning back the moment the ship launched.
After so many years trapped as a rat, he would be free. Free to live out what little remained of his life on Mars.
"Attention all UN personal assigned to Mars, please report to your posts. Those not assigned to the ship start up, report to the launch ceremony," the voice echoed through the room. "The commanders are t-minus ten minutes out."
Solomon closed his eyes.
Good. This meant the representatives overseeing the launch would be in the room the ceremony was held in. He could now head for the ship without drawing notice from either Isaac Butler or Solomon's father.
Solomon turned from the window. He stepped back into the higher gravity area.
He collapsed, gasping against the wall. His entire burned as if flames were consuming alive.
"Damn it." Solomon gasping. Little air reached him as the fire spread deeper into his muscles.
This explained why doctors hadn't wanted him to leave Earth.
Breathe.
Each new breath steadied him. The fire ebbed back to the normal throbbing pain. He was fine. Perfectly fine.
Coming here had been a good idea, it had prepared Solomon to know just what would happen when he moved between gravity locations. Yes, now he could keep up the façade he was fine. He was healthy. A normal soldier, just boarding the ship early.
Solomon started off through the halls.
"The commanders have arrived," was announced as he headed for the colony ship.
"You're rather early," the soldier standing guard greeted Solomon. "Can I see your identification?" He gave a small smile. "Just to confirm you're one of the ones joining the project."
"Of course." Solomon took out his identification.
"Lucky," the soldier sighed as he held Solomon's ID. "I wish I could have been chosen to go rather than just be a guard for the entrance." He passed back the ID. "All I get to do after this is follow the reports coming back from you lot." He chuckled. "Not meaning to whine about it, sir."
Solomon bowed his head as he took his ID. "We could have used another good security officer."
The man flushed. "Thanks, Lieutenant. I take it your excited to get going and that's why you're skipping the ceremony? I don't blame you. If I could go, I would be aboard the ship by now as well." He saluted. "Safe journey, Lieutenant."
Solomon bowed his head. He passed over into the ship proper. Pain lanced through him.
He breathed and kept moving.
None would know.
Silence returned as he moved away from the entrance. The only sound came from his boots against the metal flooring. Even this peace wouldn't last long. Soon the ship would be boarded and the halls filled to capacity by the first waves of colonists.
Solomon stopped into security office. The room was lined with monitors, many displaying the halls of the ship as well as the engines room and bridge. The targets in case of sabotage.
No one was there yet.
Odd. There might have been at least one person here in case someone meant to take the ship or sabotage it before launch. His gaze lingered at the surveillance as he crossed the room. He took a seat before the many monitors and looked through what was collected around those two points of the ship.
Nothing.
No one was trying to sabotage the ship.
It was still odd no one else was here.
He glanced back at the space. It was large enough to hold meetings with most of the team when they were on duty. A door led off the side, most likely to the Lieutenant Colonel's office during the month long trip to Mars.
Solomon's hands shook. He gripped them to stop the shaking from being noticeable. All he had to do was get off Lunar Base without notice from his father and Isaac.
Solomon turned back to the monitors.
Very few people moved through the halls. All of them were rushing around with the last-minute preparations for launch. Nothing was happening in the engine room at all. Everything was going just as he read it should.
Movement at the entrance to the ship drew his eye.
The guard had straightened and was saluting a tall figure.
The man moved onto the ship.
Odd.
The man wore the ceremonial uniform of a UNASF lieutenant colonel. Yet, it wasn't time for the commanders to board the ship. They should have been meeting with their seconds and enjoying the ceremony before the work started after launch.
Sure enough, Lieutenant Colonel Nightlord was heading here.
Solomon stood and turned to the door.
Abel entered the security office.
"Sir." Solomon straightened and saluted.
Abel looked almost like the image in the file Solomon had read about him. His hair wasn't spiked, rather smoothed back. He appeared to be twenty, though this was a lie. He was only physically twenty while being thirty years old.
Abel's sharp, wintery blue eyes locked on Solomon.
The air chilled. His gaze pierced Solomon as if he could see through the careful façade Solomon had made to the illness which lay hidden within.
"At ease, Lieutenant." Abel turned and moved into his office.
Tension eased from Solomon.
Perhaps Abel hadn't seen the lie before him.
Abel returned a heartbeat later. "Given you're here early, take the next two personal who appear and start the rounds of the ship." Abel held out a data cube. "You'll be in charge of this section of the ship."
In charge?
Solomon took the cube. Sure he was tied as third in command with a man named Barack, but he had never once been charged with a section of security. His father had made sure he was assigned the easiest tasks.
This, it was more than Solomon had ever hoped for. To, at long last, be treated like a normal soldier of his rank.
Abel had turned away and was starting to set up for the briefing when the rest arrived.
"Thank you," Solomon mouthed the words. His heart lightened.
There was no way he would make Abel regret putting such trust in Solomon.