Their mission failed. They fled back to Camp Jericho, fearing immediate retaliation from Thariel. The Hyperion and its cohort had launched themselves up through Earth’s atmosphere and disappeared through the Meridian Gate.

  John, Sam, and the other wounded piled into medical tents while the more abled men and women remained behind and retrieved bodies.

  It wasn’t until they returned to Camp Jericho that Sam told him about the bruising on her waist. During the chaos of the attack a piece of flying concrete collided with her combat armor. While the armor prevented her ribs from breaking, she still suffered major bruising and minor internal bleeding which the doctors tended to as she lay sedated and unconscious on the medical bed.

  Thousands of survivors poured in. They needed help organizing families for shuttle rides out of the city, to safe zones further west. He knew they needed his help, but John couldn’t bring himself to leave Sam by herself. John felt they were locked in a tragedy together and should stick it through. They’d been through so much already he felt they were starting to become friends. That’s what really made it difficult for John. Stupid friendship. In those moments beside her, he felt cold all over. His stomach hardened when he looked at Sam in her state. Her condition was stable and she seemed likely to recover, unlike the forty troopers who lost their lives during the mission.

  John tried contemplating the logic behind the Hyperion attack. A deal went wrong. He understood that. But the response? Genocide? That didn’t make sense.

  Eventually, John left the tent and made himself useful. He washed bandages. He offloaded morphine from shuttles. He carried the wounded on stretchers. He did anything he could to take his mind off tragedy. Off Emily. Off Sam.

  Six hours later, Sam finally woke up. She held her ribs and shuddered. John gave her a blanket. “Thanks,” she said, wrapping herself. She sat there for a while and sipped from a water bottle then took a bowl of potato soup from John. They ate together. Once Sam finished, she said, “John. There’s something we have to talk about.”

  “Yeah there is. When were you going to tell me about the injury? If you’re going to run with me I need to know when you’re hurt.”

  “Yeah…I think I was in shock.”

  “Fine. How are you now?”

  “Better. Even though we failed.”

  “There isn’t much we can do. They’re stronger.”

  “I feel helpless.”

  “We didn’t hold back. He knows our hand pretty well.”

  “What about the Meridian Gate?”

  “What about it?”

  “Could we use it as a weapon? Maybe we could turn it against them.”

  “Now you’re sounding like me. It’s alien technology. We barely understand it.”

  “I don’t see another way. We don’t have any other advantages.”

  “No, we don’t. It’s like…they come out of nowhere and don’t give us a chance to negotiate and then slaughter us like sheep. It doesn’t make any sense.”

  A stillness lingered between them.

  “You look like you want to punch someone,” she said. “Your hands are shaking. Are you alright?”

  He looked down. She was right. He rubbed his hands together.

  John leaned against the furthest wall. He shook his head in disapproval. “Just think about it for a second. Humanity has always believed in aliens. Some believe they link all the way back to the ancient Egyptians. Most people are convinced the aliens helped them build the pyramids. Now—and I’m just starting to process all of this—it turns out that may all be true? This is the most exciting time in human history, and at the same time it’s the most devastating."

  “I don’t think these aliens helped us build anything.”

  “That’s exactly my point. We open the magic ring, or gate, or whatever the Meridian Gate actually is, and those bloodthirsty savages attack us. Who does that? If they knew we were here the entire time, why respond like that? And maybe, just maybe, there are others out there who might help us.”

  Sam nodded in agreement. “Valentine had a similar idea.”

  “Thariel.” John scoffed. “What kind of dumb name is that?”

  “Their ‘deal’ was outrageous. Do you know what they wanted from us?”

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “No.”

  “Ten million people. They wanted slaves to use in their rituals. They have a way of sacrificing humans to repair themselves. If they’re so advanced then why do they need us to help them? And if they really do need us, why would they kill us? Are they just trying to make a point? The whole situation is crazy.”

  “They lashed out like a five year old. Like they were desperate. They killed so many.”

  “That’s a good point. Maybe we can use that as leverage somehow.”

  “Hey, I just like talking. I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”

  Sam flashed a smile. “You’ve served in the UEF as a pilot for eight years?”

  “Yep. I served as a rifleman four years before that. I wanted something new. Something bigger. So I trained as a pilot and they accepted me into their program. My original plans never worked out.”

  “Which was?”

  “I’ve always wanted to be an actor.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yep…I was a child actor until I joined the infantry after high school.”

  “Did you see a lot of screen time?”

  “Haven’t you read my file?”

  “I have, actually. John—I want to offer you a job.”

  “System-wide movie star? Sign me up.”

  “No, but the benefits are out of this world.”

  “Come on, what are you talking about? Going private?”

  “More public, actually. I want you to join my diplomatic envoy.”

  “Diplomacy? I prefer pulling triggers.”

  “That’s exactly why I need you. Well, partially. More than that, you have a way with people. They respect you. You’re brave. You’re a soldier and a tactician. You have a lot to offer. Leadership. Experience. Expertise. I need you with me to travel across the solar system. Keep me safe. Plan with me. Attend fancy dinners. Help me make deals and heal the colonies.”

  “After all of this? I don’t know…”

  “You’re the only one I’ve considered for the position. Valentine recommended you, too. He thinks you’ll do a great job.”

  “Let me think about it.”

  “Really? You’re not accepting the offer?”

  “I’m not declining, I just need to think about it. This whole thing with Emily…I need to process it. This feels like a turning point in my life and I’m not one hundred percent sold that this way of life is sustainable. We could all be dead tomorrow. Do I really want to spend my final days in the UEF?”

  “The decisions you’ve made so far inspire people, despite our setbacks. We lost the battle against Thariel yesterday, but the simple fact that you were brave enough to lead an attack against Thariel shows we haven’t given up. Those soldiers outside view you as a hero. They need you. Together, we can fill their hearts with hope and help them heal from this tragedy.”

  “You sure know how to talk, Ms. Politician. I like what you’re saying.”

  “Those brave soldiers died honorably. And to be honest, I’ve spoken to most of them, and they died doing what they loved. Can you ask for a better life? Drunken soldiers already sing songs about the battle. They sing about the man who led them. Commander John Drayton. These songs will be sung for a thousand years.”

  “They’re really singing about me?”

  “They’re not the only ones. Don’t forget that Thariel called you out. You have a deeper part in this war. We have to figure out what that means.”

  “I know what it means. Thariel wants me dead.”

  A message chimed on John’s cellphone. It was an urgent meeting set up by Admiral Valentine. “Mark wants us to meet him. Can you walk?”

  “Yes. What about my offer? Will you join my envoy? I could use you.”

  “I’ll consider it. I just need to process it. I respect you and your methods. You are a fine make of a soldier. You proved it, roughing it out in the rubble alongside me. You also have a way with words which I like. I just need time. I need to process Emily’s…we had a whole life and Thariel destroyed it. He took everything from me.”

  “Okay, John. Just remember what’s at stake. Remember your strengths.”

  “I’m going to get some air.”

  Sam nodded. “I’m going to freshen up. Then we should go see Mark.”

  When she left, John reached into his pocket hoping to find a mint when his fingers brushed against something metal. He pulled out three gold wedding bands missing their gemstones. He rubbed the rings around with his fingers for a couple of seconds. He considered putting them back into his pocket. But then he dropped them into the waste bin and exited the room to find a place to breathe.

  ###

  John still had a couple of hours before Admiral Valentine’s meeting back at Camp Jericho so he walked the trail just off site which was littered with concrete and completely empty of people.

  John walked the trail, unbothered by the crumpled steel debris. He jumped over it when he had to. He just needed a place for his mind to come to terms with everything.

  He lost track of time. He felt dizzy, at times nearly stumbling.

  Then, John ran faster.

  His leaps were greater. Instead of jumping over one piece of rubble, he jumped two and then three. The sweat and the pain in his legs forced his mind away from the thoughts of Emily. Instead, he focused on every footstep. He focused on his breathing.

  He stopped.

  In his peripheral vision, he spotted a person standing beside a stop sign. He stopped and turned. Emily? No…just a shadow.

  He kept running.

  John stopped and stood on top of the largest chunk of concrete in the park. He exhaled the cold air. He stood there with his hands at his hips. He forced himself to look beyond the decimated New York City skyline and instead focused on the midafternoon sun and its beautiful golden rays.

  His cellphone chirped.

  John looked down, it was from Admiral Valentine.

  He had to go. He had to move on. There was no changing what happened to Emily. He formed a fist, pounded on his chest, and tried to forget his pain as he sprinted back toward Camp Jericho.