The Guardian by J.D. Moyer

Author:J.D. Moyer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Flame Tree Press
Published: 2019-08-13T10:31:28+00:00

Chapter Twenty

Lydia put out breakfast: fruit, boiled eggs, and brown sourdough bread. Xenus seemed distracted. He was scheduled to meet with Lieutenant Foster to assign work duty to the Liu Hui soldiers. Lydia was glad that Xenus had something to do; his position as Research Coordinator was now irrelevant. The field researchers had been immediately recalled when the news of Rosen’s death reached the Stanford.

Regis Foster had insisted that his people would work, and thus integrate themselves within the community. This declaration had been met with skepticism, but when Xenus had tentatively delegated some grunt work to the soldiers, they had completed the tasks with diligence and gusto. The Liu Hui giants were acting more like friendly neighbors than an occupying force.

Still, Vandercamp was in upheaval. After the initial shock wore off, the residents began to question Adrian’s intentions. There was not yet a consensus regarding what to do. It was confusing that the Stanford had so little to say about the matter. The Over Council’s single ‘condition’ had been Free Passage: Vandercamp’s independence would be recognized only so long as citizens were free to come and go, to travel freely between Earth and their home ringstation. So far, nobody had tried to leave, but neither had passage been forbidden. What would the Stanford do if this right was not granted? The councils had made no warnings, presented no consequences. Lydia wondered if Penelope Townes and the others were secretly relieved to be rid of Adrian. With the field research suspended, was the field station now a liability?

Or perhaps there was a darker truth. By disowning Vandercamp, the Repopulationists got their way. The charade of calling the settlement a ‘research station’ could be dropped.

Would the Stanford really cede control to the Liu Hui without any resistance? That didn’t make sense. The Stanford councils must be buying time, hoping to lull Adrian and the Liu Hui force into complacency. AFS-1 was a valuable asset, a foothold on Earth.

“Shouldn’t take long,” Xenus said on his way out. “We’ll see how they like compost duty.”

“I’m sure they’ll smile and thank you for the privilege,” said Lydia, “but don’t trust them.”

“I won’t.”

Lydia cleaned up breakfast, took a quick shower, and was at the clinic thirty minutes later. She had a few appointments in the afternoon (a ten-year nanodrone refresh, two wellness checkups), but her morning was free. She wondered if any of the Liu Hui soldiers would drop in for medical needs. So far none had. Their ship must have its own facilities and staff. Certainly it was large enough – at least tenfold the size of the mules.

It still wasn’t clear who they were, exactly. Academic and civilian contacts on the Liu Hui claimed no knowledge, and the newsfeeds were scrubbed clean. Direct inquiries to governmental channels had gone unanswered. Lydia doubted an operation of such scale could be mounted privately, and the soldiers seemed like official military. She’d heard them refer to Foster as ‘lieutenant.’ But the Zho-ngya-ng hadn’t yet fessed up to invading Earth.

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