(updated 10-16-2020)
CHAPTER SIX
New Masters
"Haydonites:A highly technologically advanced space-faring cybernetic species. They were the indigenous life form to the planet Haydon IV. We know little about their original physical form and the how, why and when they transitioned to a cybernetic form. Haydonites wore robes to hide their physical form from others. Without their robes, a Haydonite was nothing but a floating body (possibly indicating a gas-bag evolution). The body lacked any obvious limbs, with only a head and chest region. Their only known physical identifying feature was a singular, spherical robotic eye which glowed beneath their robes. The eye varied among individuals. Its true meaning is unknown, but some xenobiologists hypothesize it may have been a unique feature between individuals or represented ranks of seniority. A green fluid was the principal component of the Haydonite circulatory system. Blood analysis identified this 'blood' as a manufactured bio-mechanical fluid {refer to sections on Haydonite Organic Processing Facilities} to sustain them. Culturally and sociologically, Haydonites believed themselves superior to all species and that biological—organic—beings were inferior..."
— excerpt from "The History of Robotechnology and the Alliance"
oOoOo
Pacing back and forth, President Kinsey occasionally stopped to stare out the hanger door at the tarmac of Andrews Air Force Base. It was becoming a struggle to maintain a calm composure while waiting for the aliens to arrive for negotiations.
When Kinsey announced his intentions to his cabinet and military officials, there had been a tense moment where he thought they would turn against him. But any worries of a coup were for naught. With the destruction of Oahu combined with the devastation in China brought a sobering realization that further resistance was useless in the face of this overwhelming power.
It had been actually easier for Kinsey to contact the aliens than communicate his intentions to the Russians and the remnants of the Chinese leadership. That the aliens understood English raised a lot of eyebrows and questions. Kinsey didn't care about those questions. His worries were having to negotiate from an extreme position of weakness and somehow keep him in a position that gave him the most advantage.
Words like collaborator and traitor didn't even enter his thoughts. In his mind, he was being pragmatic. He'd always been an ambitious politician and when given the opportunity to serve his master because it would benefit himself, he hadn't hesitated. To him, words like... good or evil meant nothing. There was only the power... the power to control others and to fulfill one's destiny.
With these aliens, they were just another master he would have to serve, making himself indispensable and reap the rewards for his servitude. These negotiations were just a formality. He would agree to any terms they presented. He was using these negotiations as a job interview to show how useful he could be to these new masters.
A distant rumbling, like thunder, interrupted any further thoughts about his future. As the rumbling grew louder, Kinsey moved towards the hanger door, taking a deep breath to steel his resolve. His aides and Secret Service detail followed him.
Everyone froze in their tracks as an enormous ship descended from the sky, escorted by many smaller attack craft. The hovering ship filled the late afternoon sky above the air base.
Fear replaced the shock as everyone watched a shuttle-type craft descend from the cruiser, escorted by attack craft. The shuttle landed near the hanger with the escorts peeling off to resume their patrol of the skies. Everyone held their breath as the ramp on the back of the shuttle opened.
"Jesus..." someone muttered as figures descended the ramp.
Kinsey didn't argue with that assessment. The first "people" down the ramp were two huge armored figures pulled straight out of a nightmare. The ominous robot-looking creatures were nearly ten feet tall with weapons mounted on each arm. Instead of fingers on their hands, they had armored claws.
If the aliens were looking to intimidate, they easily accomplished that mission. With everyone's attention on the scary-looking robots they almost missed the smaller robed figure with a bright red eye peering from underneath its hood following behind them.
"Which one of you is President Kinsey?" the cloaked figure said in an eerily disconnected voice.
A moment of doubt gripped Kinsey, struggling to keep control while staring back and forth between the menacing armored creatures and the cloaked figure. He realized there was no turning back now.
The First is right... I have to grab and make my opportunity from this situation, he thought, taking a deep breath and stepping forward.
"I'm President Robert Kinsey... I'm the leader of the United States of America. Who am I addressing?"
"I am Adherent Taudan of the Adjudicator Sect... You will follow me and board my shuttle. I will take you aboard my cruiser. There you will communicate with Prelate Dejan of the Exemplar Sect, who is commander of the 12th Grand Fleet of the Haydonite Hegemony. You will receive our terms for your planet's surrender and occupation by the hegemony and how your species will serve us."
Kinsey caught the mutterings from the people behind him. The devastation and destruction in China and Hawaii were at the forefront of his thoughts. Even if he wanted to resist, it would be only a futile gesture, leaving a dead planet circling the sun as the only monument to humanity's existence.
Kinsey stepped towards the cloaked figure, followed by his aides and security detail. Everyone froze as the armored soldiers stepped forward, raising their arms and pointing the weapons mounted on them at the group.
"We will discuss your surrender only with Kinsey," Taudan ordered.
Kinsey took another deep breath. There was a part of him relieved to be going alone. This would give him more freedom in the negotiations to ensure his survival. He waved back his people, putting on his most presidential demeanor, accompanying the cloak figure up the shuttle ramp followed by the huge armored soldiers. As the shuttle lifted off, the President hoped he wouldn't regret having listened to The First Evil.
oOoOo
Onboard the alien cruiser, Kinsey was awestruck by everything he saw in the ship's landing bay. Any whispers of doubts or reservations about his decision evaporated, seeing the rows of fighters packed in the landing bay and the numbers of armored soldiers. The Air Force's enemy force estimates had two hundred alien ships in orbit. If they were all outfitted like this, then he knew they wouldn't be able to stand against any attack.
Kinsey followed the cloaked alien through the labyrinth of ship's corridors, finally arriving at a large armored doorway. The door automatically opened, ushering them into a much larger room.
Kinsey was wondering where he was or what purpose the room had. His wondering ended when the image of another clocked figure appeared above a circular table in the middle of the room. He realized that he was looking at a holographic image of another alien.
"You are President Kinsey?"
Kinsey jumped, "Y-Yes..."
"I am Prelate Dejan, commander of the Haydonite fleet..."
"H-Haydonites?"
The alien's voice sounded cold and mechanical as he spoke, "That is our species. The Haydonite Hegemony controls and oversees a vast area of space on the other side of the galaxy."
"W-Why did you come here? W-Why did you attack us?"
"We are here because you are users of Protoculture and you sent ships to attack us."
Confusion gripped Kinsey, "A-Attack? Attack you? I-I have never heard of or seen you or your species before you arrived here!"
"You deny that you sent a force of ships led by a ship called the Arcadia to our space..."
Oh sweet Jesus! What did those idiot bastards Coulson and Coleiro do? Kinsey thought furiously, starting to put the pieces together.
Desperation gripped Kinsey while he tried to explain, "W-We sent those ships, but they were only to explore and establish contacts with any other races that they encountered."
"We do not believe you! You sent forces to foment insurrection and rebellion among the worlds of the Hegemony! Where is your Protoculture matrix? Where are the rest of your ships?" Dejan demanded.
A confused Kinsey didn't know what a Protoculture matrix was. His only knowledge of Protoculture was from the briefings he'd received back when the Arcadia first arrived, "I-I think there's been a big misunderstanding here," he said.
He told the Haydonites everything he knew about the Arcadia and how the ship and its crew had arrived from an alternate universe.
When Kinsey finished, the sweat was rolling down his back. Normally, he could read people and get a sense for them, but these aliens had no actual faces throwing him off-balance, leaving him unsure. There was only that glowing red eye beneath their hoods which unsettled him. Time slowed to a crawl with only his heavy breathing and the hum of the equipment echoing in the room.
The holographic image of Dejan finally spoke, "The Awareness has heard what you have said. Your information corroborates the data we have. What you have told us would explain many things."
An immense weight lifted off of Kinsey, "So this was all a misunderstanding? We haven't seen or heard from the Arcadia or any of the other ships in five years. Maybe we can negotiate a settlement or come to some accommodation that would be... uh... beneficial to both of us," he said, bowing his head deferentially.
Dejan roared in a hateful tone, "Your species is guilty of crimes against the Hegemony! You will pay for those crimes! Your planet and species will serve the Haydonites!"
oOoOo
Faith kept gazing out of the passenger window of Andy's truck, trying to see any of the alien ships in the night sky. She thought she could see objects, appearing brighter than stars, moving in the sky, but she wasn't sure. She finally gave up, realizing she'd just been putting off this conversation with Andy.
"I don't think this is a good idea," she said.
"Celia just got back with our parents. I need to check in on them and take these supplies over. Plus, with the State of Emergency in effect, you're not going to be traveling anywhere very far without attracting unwanted attention," Andy replied.
"I know," she sighed, gazing back out the passenger window again, "But maybe I should have stayed at your house. I don't want to cause any more problems between you and your sister."
"You're with me, and she'll just have to deal with it," he said, giving her a smile, and reaching over and putting his arm around her, pulling her closer.
Faith at first resisted, but she finally gave up giving him a smirk, snuggling closer to him. A comfortable silence filled the truck's cab as they drove. The moment lasted for only a couple of miles before an evil twinkle gleamed in her eyes.
"Maybe if I sleep with your sister, she'll like me as much as you do?" she said, trying to keep a straight face.
Andy choked, struggling to keep the truck straight on the road while Faith laughed.
Faith swore she could feel an icy chill when she entered Celia's house. She tried making herself useful, carrying in the extra supplies of food, water and batteries with Andy. But the look on his sister's face just reaffirmed her earlier doubts and reservations as she passed her on the way to the kitchen.
She hung back in the kitchen when she overheard Celia start into Andy in the living room.
"You brought her to my house!"
"Can't you just let it go for one night, Celia! Everything is going to hell in a hand basket and you're harping over Faith! I think she's the least of our problems!"
"Andres, that woman is a no good—"
"Damn it! I love her!" Andy said.
A wave of panic hit Faith hearing Andy's declaration. Old emotions surfaced, and she was unsure of what to do, glancing at the kitchen door as a possible quick exit. She'd known he had feelings for her... she just hadn't realized how much he cared for her until now. A realization struck that she liked Andy too... a lot more than she wanted to admit out loud to.
It's time to let go... It's time to move on... But what the hell does that mean? It's not like I have a future, she thought, trying to come to grips with her feelings for Andy.
Andy's shouts interrupted any further emotional pondering, "Faith! Get in here!"
She rushed into the living room, ignoring the looks from Celia and her parents. The TV caught her attention, immediately recognizing the person speaking and where he was speaking from.
"Tonight I not only address my fellow Americans, but all people of this planet. An alien species called the Haydonites has attacked our planet. Their armada in orbit represents only a small fraction of the power of the Haydonite Hegemony. Our brave and valiant men and women in the armed forces have tried to repel this attack, but these aliens are much more technologically advanced than us. We have suffered grievous casualties in our attempts to defend our home. China has suffered tens of millions dead in retaliation in a failed counter-attack with land-based nuclear missiles. We have suffered enormous casualties... Pearl Harbor and Honolulu... the entire Hawaiian island of Oahu has been destroyed..."
Everyone in the room gasped as the news sank in. Faith was experiencing flashbacks to the White House attack and Boston. The whole situation didn't feel real. But studying Kinsey's face, she could see the stress in his eyes along with the fear as he continued his speech.
"Because of these losses and the defeat of our space forces, I can see no point with continuing on any futile resistance against these invaders. To save this planet and our species..." he took a deep breath, "I have ordered all our armed forces to stand down and return to their bases. I have negotiated the complete and unconditional surrender of the United States of America to the Haydonite Hegemony. I have been in contact with our allies and other major powers to inform them of our intentions to surrender. This surrender is to spare our citizens from further destruction, and I recommend that other countries follow suit. The leader of the Haydonite fleet will address you next. I ask that everyone remain calm and stay where they are. We will have to endure more than our country has ever had to endure, but we... humanity will continue on. God bless you all, and God bless the United States of America..."
Stunned silence gripped the room with everyone's attention locked on the television. Static replaced the President's image, lasting only a few seconds before a new image filled the screen.
Emotions ranging from anger, disbelief and fear filled the room as a hooded cloak figure with one glowing red eye appeared on the screen. There was a long moment of silence, then the alien spoke.
"I am Prelate Dejan, commander of the 12th Grand Fleet of the Haydonite Hegemony, and designated Overseer of this planet. We have found your planet and species guilty of the crimes of fomenting insurrection and rebellion among the races of the Hegemony. These crimes instigated by the humans of the Arcadia expedition that you sent to our region of the galaxy..."
Faith gasped at the mention of the Arcadia. Her heart was beating faster as a brief flash of hope filled her. She moved closer towards the TV, feeling as if she was in a dream. The alien continued.
"Your planet and species will now serve us! Your local governments will continue to exist for now and will now answer to us. They will help administer and maintain control over you and will also be our conduit to enforce our will..."
Faith wanted to reach through the TV to shake the alien, fighting the urge to scream at the TV, wanting to hear more about the Arcadia and Paul.
"Your existence and lives as you knew them has ended... Obedience and servitude are your only purpose now. We will crush any resistance or opposition without mercy! If you try to resist, you will only face the same fate as all your people in the so-called Arcadia Expedition have already received for their crimes against us. You will only achieve death..."
oOoOo
Faith ran out of the house into the night. Tears filled her eyes while the alien's words still rung in her ears. For a long time, she had kept telling herself that Paul and the others were dead and she should accept it.
The problem was that no matter how she tried to rationalize it, there was still a little piece of her that had refused to give up. Now, those last vestiges of desperate hope no longer existed... crushed in a moment of few words.
Tears were running down her face as she looked up into the night sky. She wanted to scream at the night sky and the universe which seemed to mock her.
"Faith? You okay?"
She didn't turn around. She didn't want to face Andy right now.
"Faith?" he said, cautiously moving closer.
"He promised he would come back to me..." she muttered, grasping her jade pendant, staring up at the stars.
It took Andy a moment to put it together and realize the other guy had been a part of the Arcadia expedition. A voice echoed in his thoughts about there now being no roadblocks for them to be together. He brushed aside any relief and guilt over his competition now being gone, seeing how much it hurt Faith.
"I'm sorry..." he muttered, trying to find the words to make her feel better. He would do anything to take her pain away.
She kept muttering to herself as if she hadn't heard him, "I knew that this would happen... Everyone I love dies... I'm alone like I've always been."
Her words triggered a wave of anger in Andy, "You're not alone, Faith!" he blurted out, moving closer and putting his arms on her, slowly turning her to face him.
"You're not alone... I'm here," he repeated gently, caressing her face while gazing into her tear-filled eyes.
"No... Don't... Don't say it," she pleaded, knowing what he was going to say.
"I love you Faith, and I know despite how much you try and not to say or show it, you love me too," he said.
It was too much for Faith to handle, "I-I c-can't..." she sobbed.
Andy wasn't going to give up on her... or them. He gave her a reassuring smile, "I know you're hurting, but you got to know that you're not alone. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere," he whispered, hugging her tightly while her body heaved from sobbing.
oOoOo
"Prelate, landing operations have begun at the designated spots."
Dejan eyed his subordinate, "Any problems?"
"Just some minor local resistance at several of the landing sites. Our Reavers easily crushed it. As per standing policy, we left some humans alive to spread word of the futility of further resistance."
"Good... how long before the processing facilities are operational?"
"The pre-fabricated units are ready for landing. All facilities will be operational within four local days. Processing of organics to meet our needs should begin several days after that, Prelate."
"Excellent... use whatever organics you need as a workforce to get everything operational, they are disposable. Also, ensure deployment of all mecha and ground forces to ensure security for those facilities and our ground bases. If some of these humans are even somewhat like the humans we have fought, when they realize what we are doing they will take up arms against us. We must be ready to crush any resistance," Dejan ordered.
The other Haydonite paused, trying to conceal his hesitation, "Yes, Prelate..."
Dejan noted the hesitation, "You have a question?"
"Prelate, how will we find her? What will happen if they find out the truth?"
Dejan's studied his subordinate, not use to having to explain himself, "We will use whatever methods needed to locate her. The Awareness has foreseen that we can make him suffer by finding her and modifying her for our needs. We will make certain he suffers for what he has done to us! That human... Kinsey. I have seen his type before. He will do anything to keep himself in a position of power and authority. I am sure that if we offer some incentives, he would gladly sellout his own species to assist us. He will cooperate and do what we ask to keep himself where he is."
The Prelate considered the second question, "It is important we demoralize and destroy any hope these humans have. If they knew the truth, they would have probably resisted longer hoping help would come. The Awareness has foreseen we may still yet save our home world. Our current intelligence estimates they do not have the forces to keep their offensive going through our core systems and attack our fleet here. Now, that we hold the human home world, if those organics and their so-called Alliance do attempt to retake this world... we will burn it and everyone on it."