“Do what you wish,” he said, suddenly feeling very tired. “I will put half of the money into reserve accounts for the kids. They will complete their schooling, no matter what you do with the rest of the money. And you can stay in this house as long as you like, provided you let the kids stay here too. I’ll even keep sending you and them money.”
He took a breath. “It’s obvious you don’t give a shit any longer,” he added. “You can keep the remaining money; do what you like with it. But when you run out of cash to maintain your new lifestyle, I hope your lover will pick up the tab. Because I damn well can’t and won’t.”
“Get out,” Molly hissed.
Kurt gave her a long look. How had their relationship failed so badly? Was it his fault for not earning enough to satisfy her or her fault for not accepting what he was? Or was it his fault for going to war and leaving her alone? In the end, it didn’t matter.
He picked up his coat and walked out of the door. There were trains running back to London at all hours of the day. He’d be able to get to the spaceport, then start his journey to his next posting. Or maybe he should speak to the kids first, let them know what had happened and why. But what could he tell them?
Nothing, he thought, numbly. The anger had faded away, to be replaced by a numbness that dampened his soul. Nothing at all.
Chapter Seven
“Impressive sight, isn’t it?”
Ted nodded as Fitzwilliam stepped up behind him and stared out of the observation blister. It was rare to see so many warships gathered in one place, close enough to allow them to be seen with the naked eye. Even now, with running lights shining out in the inky darkness of space, the more distant ships were harder to tell apart from the glowing stars. He resisted the urge to consult the computer, which could have identified the ships for him instantly; instead, he merely watched as shuttles appeared out of the darkness and flew towards the landing bay.
“Very impressive,” he said. “But also very fragile.”
The three American carriers were among the largest in the known universe, he knew. They were easily twice the size of Ark Royal, studded with launching bays, missile tubes and sensor blisters. But, unlike the Old Lady, their armour was terrifyingly thin; they’d never been designed to serve as battleships as well as carriers. The aliens had shown them just how dangerous the design was when they’d destroyed several American carriers at New Russia, along with two British ships.
Behind them, the French and Japanese carriers looked more conventional. The Japanese, in particular, had concentrated on a reliable design they could mass-produce, while the French had cooperated with the Royal Navy in designing their ships and it showed. Indeed, apart from a non-standard weapons configuration, Napoleon could easily have passed for a British modern carrier. But she had the same thin armour as the Japanese ship and her British counterparts. The ablative armour that had been hastily fitted to her hull was untested outside simulations. It was alarmingly possible, Ted knew, that a close-range engagement with the aliens would be a repeat of the Battle of New Russia, with Ark Royal the only survivor.
He closed his eyes in pain for a long moment, then looked past the carriers towards the two American Marine Expeditionary Ships. They were larger than any transports the Royal Marines had produced, although the British Commonwealth had never seriously considered the possibility of having to invade a densely-populated planet. Prior to Vera Cruz, Ted knew, the existence of the giant Marine Expeditionary Ships had provoked amusement and paranoia among the other powers. Were the Americans planning an imperialistic war? But now, Ted knew, they had good reason to be grateful for American paranoia.
Or, he asked himself, did they know the aliens were out there?
It was the old mystery, one that had occupied the minds of both conspiracy theorists and serious thinkers. Over the past thirty years, the major interstellar powers had built up their forces, despite no real threat of a war. Admittedly, there had been a brief dispute between America and China that could have turned into a major shooting war, but it had blown up out of nowhere. Maybe they’d all been a little paranoid after that confrontation… or maybe the governments had known there was an unknown alien race out there, watching humanity. But humanity’s most advanced ships had proven no match for the aliens…
He pushed the thought aside, irritated. There was no point in wasting his time on conspiracy theories. The truth would come out in the end, he was sure, perhaps after everyone involved was safely dead. Besides, it was much more likely that the human race had been preparing for war with other humans. If they’d known about aliens, he suspected, the gentleman’s agreement banning mass drivers would have been quietly ignored.
His communicator buzzed. “Admiral,” Lopez said, “they’re ready for you.”
Ted nodded, then looked over at Fitzwilliam. “Here we go,” he said. “Let’s see if we can get off on a good foot.”
There were no politicians or reporters in the group he’d invited to Ark Royal, so formal greeting ceremonies had been kept to a minimum. No one seemed to have complained as they were escorted through the ship to the main briefing room, even though not everyone had been invited. The only frigate commander to be welcomed onboard was the Chinese officer, who commanded the entire Chinese squadron. There just wasn’t room for the remaining frigate commanders to attend in person.
He ran into Lieutenant Lopez outside the room, who gave his dress uniform a brief once-over, brushed a speck of lint off his jacket and then pronounced it satisfactory. Ted sighed, remembering the days when he’d stood watch on the bridge wearing only uniform trousers and a shirt, then stepped through the hatch. The officers sitting at the table rose to their feet as he entered.
“Please, be seated,” Ted said. He couldn’t help noticing that the officers had sorted themselves out by country, without exchanging more than a few words. That would have to change. “Thank you all for coming.”
He took his seat at the head of the table, then allowed his gaze to move from face to face, matching them to the names in the files. Admiral Stanley Shallcross, Deputy Commander, looked brisk and efficient, his teeth pearly white against his dark skin. Beside him, wearing combat battledress, was Major General Roger Ross, a heavyset man with a reputation for winning against impossible odds. The United States Marine Corps had sent their best and brightest to the fight, Ted knew. They’d practiced forced landings on a planetary surface more than anyone else. And they called Ross the Rhino.
Further down the table, Capitaine de vaisseau Paul-Henri Bellerose and Captain Atsuko looked ill-at-ease to be sitting together, while Captain Wang Lei looked fairly isolated, even though he was their equal in rank. Ted wasn’t too surprised. The Chinese officer was not only an unknown, he commanded a frigate rather than a carrier. But the Chinese reluctance to commit a carrier to the multinational force had been impossible to overcome, no matter what the diplomats said. They didn’t trust the Americans enough to place a carrier anywhere near a fleet the Americans might command.
Ted sighed, inwardly. It would be hard enough fighting the aliens. He didn’t need political warfare as well.