Travelling across the Moon city was at least a stress free and easy experience. Most people utilised the solar powered tram network to navigate and commute the area. There was no traffic, no congestion. Having no roads kept things simple and with so little air traffic they had very basic operating procedures for transport.
It was just a ten-minute ride to reach the Civic Centre of the city and the government’s own parking facility. No one wore compression suits or oxygen tanks on the colony, unless travelling out of the structures or craft for a specific purpose. They relied on living within atmospherically controlled buildings. Vehicles docked only with sealed dual entry gates and few people ever went outside their artificial environment.
To the marines it was a foreign sight, no crashing seas, mud-ridden fields or craggy mountains. It was not their natural habitat and the more they looked around the less they wanted to be there. Knowing that exposure to the elements could quickly kill a man and that their personal oxygen tanks would only allow survival for half a day or less made it an inhospitable place.
“That’s it, Major, not much to look at!” shouted Rains.
Taylor looked through the cockpit screen at the Civic Centre. It was merely a larger version of the ugly buildings that surround it. The shuttles were a bulky and cumbersome transport compared to the fast attack copters that Rains was used to. He didn’t like them anymore than Taylor liked the colony.
Minutes later their shuttles docked with the building and Taylor stepped out with his company at his back. Everyone they passed looked at them open mouthed. To see a fully armed and armoured marine was unknown to them outside of the news. Just fifty metres into the building they were met by a sharp-suited man who was certainly an aide to someone important.
“Major Taylor!”
“What can I do for you?”
“Sir, I am James Dallah, the Prime minister has asked me to attach myself to your unit during your stay.”
“Good, then you can put out a message for me.”
Taylor tried to continue his stride through the building but the arrogant Dallah put his hand out and stopped the Major. Taylor looked up in disgust at the arrogant little man, but he knew he could not risk a political incident at this stage. Had it been back on base he’d have struck the man down where he stood.
“Dallah was it? Don’t ever touch me again. Get the Commander of UEN forces to a meeting with me, and make it happen within the hour!”
James looked up at the Major who was an imposing figure, and at the endless stream of fully equipped marines behind him. He nodded, but before he could answer the loudspeaker running through the building rang out.
“Major Taylor, please report to the Prime Minister’s Office immediately. Major Taylor to the Prime Minister’s Office.”
“Guess word travels fast,” said Suarez.
“I will lead you to him, please follow me, Major,” said Dallah.
Taylor turned to his men.
“Captain Friday, take up positions throughout the facility, make sure we have men on every floor and at all entrances. Price and Kwori with me.”
“Yes, Sir.”
The Major followed the snivelling ministerial aide through the corridors of the building as his marines scattered throughout. The Captain was a quiet man, but eminently capable in any situation and had Taylor’s full confidence. Dallah led the Major and his men into an elevator and up several floors to what were clearly the most elaborate facilities of the building, which was not saying much.
Taylor was continually amazed at how Spartan the Moon colony was. As a marine he was used to roughing it, but his officer’s quarters could only be described as luxurious compared to what he was seeing now. Dallah opened the doors to the secretary’s office that led to the Prime Minister’s office. Two policemen were posted outside and armed with handguns, a lax security compared to what their Earth officials would expect.
Taylor nodded to his two marines, signalling for them to take up positions outside beside the policemen. The guards looked uneasily at the armoured marines. It was their colony policy to not have military personnel in state buildings, let alone with the kind of hardware they were carrying. The Major could see that the officers were desperate to interrupt and stop him entering with a rifle slung across his chest, but they were under orders not to.
Dallah pulled open the doors. The Prime Minister was stood looking out of a thick porthole across the colony. Two men were sitting at his desk, both wearing military uniform. Taylor went through into the office in full battle attire. The Prime Minister turned to greet him, but surprisingly was not at all shocked by his hardware. He nodded to Dallah to shut the door and leave.
“Major Taylor, this is Commander Kelly of the Moon Defence Force, and Colonel Visser of the UEN. I have called you here because we have just received some troubling news, but it would appear you were better informed than any of us,” said Prime Minister Olsen.
“Information has been withheld from us, Major, and that is unacceptable,” said Visser.
“Gentleman, you can complain all you like, but I am a soldier, not a politician. My only concern is the safety of the colony and its people, so let’s cut to the chase.”
“You think you can come in here and treat is like dirt?” shouted Kelly.
“Calm down the lot of you,” said Olsen.
“Major, we’ve just been informed by the UEN President that a large object, which appears to be a space vessel, is on a direct path to us and Earth. Also that they have lost contact with the fleet sent to investigate what they called an ‘incident’ on Mars. What can you tell us?”
“Clearly you now know as much as I do. I suggest you call all soldiers and territorials to arms, we may well have a fight on our hands.”
“A fight? With who and why?”
“I honestly don’t know, Colonel. Whoever is on the way has already attacked a civilian colony and has made no attempt at communication. We can only assume that they will continue with hostile actions.”
A light began to flash on the Prime Minister’s intercom. He quickly tapped the open channel button for hands free.
“What is it?” he snapped.
“Sir, I have a General White on the line for you.”
“Put him through!”
“Prime Minister, I am Major Taylor’s commanding officer and will be your contact from now on.”
“Go on, General.”
“What we suspect to be a vast ship heading your way is a concern, but no longer our first concern. It appears that a smaller vessel has split away and is heading for you at a far greater speed.”
“What are you saying, General? Give it to us straight.”
“Information is still sketchy, but it would appear the main vessel is coming for Earth and this smaller ship to your colony. As a military man, I’d have to say that it is typical of an attack vector.”
“We are talking about a mass scale attack, by who?”
“We simply don’t know. We have not seen anything like the size of these ships before. Nor are we aware of any technology which would allow vessels to travel that fast, not even our fastest craft.”
“I am lost for words, General.”
“Then let me tell you the only thing you can do. Break open your weapons, ensure every man and woman who is capable is armed and ready. We don’t know what to expect, but we do know it’s hostile and bearing on us quickly!”
“Even with your Major’s men we could not muster a thousand soldiers, surely not enough for any kind of defence. What about evacuation to Earth?”
“Negative, with the size of your population and time we have, you wouldn’t be able to get out more than ten percent of the colony. Based on our last estimates, you’ve got about six hours.”
“Christ, how could it come to this?” Kelly asked.