Long Shot: A Remnant of the Commonwealth, Book One

Chapter 1

Colonel Aaron Walker sat on the small bed in his quarters, fighting the worry that was threatening to overtake him. Something was wrong, it just had to be.

In truth, his quarters were more of a cell than anything else. The room was small, as would be expected of a hospital room; what's more it was a hospital room with a locked door; there wasn't even a window in the door to see through. The small room's furnishings were a bed, toilet, sink, and a small cabinet for clothes and other personal affects—not that he had been allowed to keep any of his personal things.

The only items he had were the thin blue shirt and pants he was required to wear while sleeping. And the clothes had been given to him three days ago, which was why his anxiety was fighting to run away with him. Never before had he gone more than eight hours or so before someone would check on him. There hadn't even been any food or water provided in that whole time and he had been especially thankful that his room had a sink. Without it, he may have already been clawing his eyes out over his thirst. As it was, his stomach kept growling over the lack of food. As his grandfather would have said, his stomach was gnawing away at his backbone.

His hands and feet started to get cold, so Aaron wearily climbed off of the bed and dropped to the floor to do some pushups. He was a military man and he would remain prepared for whatever came.

He was thirty-seven years old, with close cut brown hair. Tall and muscular, he had always taken pleasure maintaining his physical prowess. He looked rough now; he had three days stubble on his face and it constantly itched, plus he hadn't slept well over the last several nights.

Again his mind wondered back to the issue at hand; what was going on? Where had the hospital staff disappeared to? The only thing that made any sense was that something had happened with the war, and that was not a very pleasant thought. He was a Colonel in the Army of the Commonwealth Alliance, a loose federation of some twenty-six independent systems aligned with each other for protection and trade. For nearly a hundred standard years the Alliance had been at peace, partially because of the Alliance and partially because the two main powers in this backward sector of space hadn't bothered to notice. Seven years ago that had all changed. The Lagashian Empire, a large and wealthy collection of planets and one of the two superpowers in this region, began an assault against a small collection of neighboring systems. With their main rival's attention diverted, the Miram Union had attacked the Commonwealth. The Miram Union was an autocratic superpower with nearly two hundred systems under its control. The Commonwealth won more battles than it lost in the war, but the sheer number of the Unionists was overwhelming. Eighteen months ago, Aaron had been called to his commander's office and asked to volunteer for a classified mission; it was a request he had agreed to immediately.

When he had been asked to volunteer for this assignment nearly a year and a half ago, the war had been going badly. If something had happened, then it most likely was not good news.

He had volunteered thinking he was signing up for a high level assassination or perhaps a tricky piece of sabotage behind the Unionists' lines. He hadn't expected to be sent to a hospital and experimented on, but that was exactly what had happened. He wasn't entirely sure what they had done to him, but he had a suspicion and it terrified him.

A beeping sound came from the door and he looked up, both surprised and hopeful. The sound had been the electronic lock being activated. The door swung open and two men stepped into the room, closing the door behind them. Aaron quickly climbed to his feet to greet them.

The nearer of the two men was Dr. Moore; one of the lead physicians in this little medical experiment. He was a short and skinny man whose grey hair was receding quickly. He wore a smile today, as he always did, but for some reason the smile looked forced and it made Aaron uneasy. It was unusual, normally Dr. Moore was friendly, almost carefree, but he didn't seem that way today.

The second man was an orderly and he hung back near the door. That too was unusual. Normally, Dr. Moore entered Aaron's room by himself. The orderly stood next to the door, watching Aaron and holding a shock stick.

If his unease hadn't been bad enough already, the sight of the shock stick set off alarm bells in his head. Something was definitely wrong here. The shock stick was a metal bar about two feet long with a bulbous end. It was used to control prisoners as the bulbous end gave off a paralyzing shock that would render the victim unable to move. In all of his time at the hospital, he had never seen an orderly carrying one.

Aaron turned his eyes back to Dr. Moore. The good doctor had been watching Aaron as he studied the orderly. Doc, what's going on?

Dr. Moore sighed and motioned for Aaron to sit on the bed. He stepped closer and began slowly waving his left arm over Aaron's body. He wore a medical sleeve on his left arm that allowed him to read Aaron's vitals. The sleeve was a small computer that covered from the elbow to the fingers; it was covered in small buttons and electronic displays. Bad news, I'm afraid.

The war? Aaron asked, giving voice to the thoughts that had bugged him for days.

The doc nodded. Yes, it's over.

Aaron blinked, not understanding. What do you mean over? Understanding slowly dawned on him and he leaned closer to the doc, ignoring the orderly stepping closer. Did we lose?

Moore hesitated a moment and then he nodded again. Afraid so.

The words rolled over Aaron and everything seemed to go numb. How could they have lost and what did it mean? Almost in a fog, he asked the thing he dreaded but had to know. I have family on Gamma Crucis, in the capital city. How do I find out about them?

Dr. Moore looked exceedingly uncomfortable. Sorry to have to tell you this, but Gamma Crucis was obliterated. The unionists bombed the planet to where it's unrecognizable.

Aaron reached up and grabbed the doc by the right arm. But they might still be alive. His eyes had gone wide and he was nearing panic now.

As he grabbed the doctor's arm, the orderly took several quick steps forward but stopped at a wave from the doctor.

The bombing happened nearly four months ago and no supplies have made it through the Unionist's lines. Starvation and disease have taken over the planet. If your family survived the initial bombardment, then they are most surely dead now. He removed Aaron's hand from his arm and placed it in Aaron’s lap. I'm truly sorry.

Aaron took slow deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. This couldn't be happening. How could his family be dead, and for four months? Something else rose up in him then, past the pain and anguish—fury. His family had died four months ago and no one had bothered to tell him! Pure uncontrollable rage surged through him and he kicked out with his right foot, catching Dr. Moore in the chest and sending him flying. The doctor's arms windmilled and something else went flying as well, a laser needle flew out of Dr. Moore's hand and skidded across the floor. The laser needle was a small device used to inject drugs painlessly.

The sight of the laser needle sliding across the floor was like a bucket of cold water being dumped on Aaron; the rage disappeared, replaced instead by a firm determination. There was only one reason that he could think of for slipping him a shot; the war was over and the doctors wanted to keep this little lab experiment completely quiet.

The orderly charged with the shock stick held out in front of him.

Aaron grabbed the pillow off of his bed and swung it with his right arm. The pillow collided with the shock stick and he felt a painful numbing sensation spread through his right forearm. With the orderly thrown a little off balance, Aaron jumped in close, inside the reach of the shock stick. He grabbed the orderly's wrist with his good left hand; trying to keep the damn stick from getting near him.

With his right arm numb and pretty much useless, Aaron was completely unable to block the orderly's punch. It hit him square in the jaw, making his head ring. Still holding onto the man's right wrist, Aaron kicked out with his right foot and heard a satisfying crunch as he shattered the man's kneecap. For just a second, the orderly stood there. He went completely white and his eyes bulged, and then he just sort of toppled over, dropping the shock stick as he fell. He hit the ground hard and screamed, his hands holding his ruined knee.

Taking his time, Aaron picked up the shock stick and almost casually touched it to the orderly's forehead. There was a brief thumping sound and the man passed out, his eyes rolling up. The shock stick was generally non-lethal, but when used against a person's head, it could cause brain damage or even death. At this point, Aaron simply didn't care.

Keeping an eye on the doctor, Aaron quickly pulled off his blue patient's outfit and tossed it into a corner. He then stripped the orderly of his white uniform and donned it himself. The orderly was a bit taller and wider than Aaron, but the clothes fit well enough. Dressing himself was made more difficult by his numbed right arm, but nevertheless, he pulled on the clothes and buttoned them up slowly.

Tossing the shock stick onto the bed, Aaron picked up the laser needle and moved over to where Dr. Moore sat against the wall. He was rubbing the back of his head with both hands, having apparently knocked his head against the wall when Aaron kicked him.

Stopping beside the doctor, Aaron kicked him in the shins. Hey! Look at me.

Dr. Moore looked up, his eyes were a little glazed. His gaze drifted past Aaron and came to rest on the orderly. My god. Did you kill him?

Aaron shrugged. Maybe, I'm not really sure. He bent down over the doctor who cringed back away. Tell me why you came here.

What - what do you mean?

Aaron held up the laser needle with his left hand. What's this?

There was a slight pause before Dr. Moore answered, It's a vaccination. We're closing the lab, so we got to transfer you.

Vaccination, Aaron repeated, considering. The problem is that I got all mine in the army. Here, why don't you take mine? He reached forward with his left hand and placed the laser needle against the doctor's shoulder.

No! Dr. Moore screamed, sliding downward away from the needle.

Pulling the needle a little ways away from the doctor, Aaron leaned closer. Tell me what's in the needle and what's going on.

Looking terrified and breathing hard, Dr. Moore looked from the needle to Aaron's face and then back to the needle. It's bascella.

Bascella? Aaron repeated thoughtfully. Bascella was a poison. If he had been injected with it, then he would have been dead within five minutes, but it wouldn't have been a painless death by any means. Why are you trying to kill me?

Dr. Moore swallowed hard. The war's over. You can't change that and if what we did here became widely known, then we would have been hunted down like animals.

Let me see if I have this straight, Aaron said quietly. You ask us to volunteer, then you experiment on us, and then you try to kill us to keep what you did here a secret. Is that about right?

Dr. Moore recoiled. You're going to kill me, aren't you?

Aaron took a deep breath and smiled—it wasn't a friendly smile. The thought has crossed my mind, but perhaps I'll show you the mercy that you refused to give me.

Hope bloomed in the eyes of the doctor. "What do you want?'

Tell me everything, and I do mean everything.

Still cringing, terror clearly showing in his eyes, Dr. Moore agreed. Okay, but where should I start?

Why did you pick us? Why were we asked to volunteer? It was a thought that had bothered him. He was in the military and in good shape, as were all the other volunteers, but how did they single him out?

The doctor blinked; apparently that wasn't the question he had been expecting. He glanced at the shock stick and immediately started talking. Every one of you had some empathic talent. Most of you probably didn't even know, but the army entrance tests proved it.

We're empaths? Aaron asked, surprised. Empaths were able to sense other people's emotions and it was rather uncommon, but could it be true? He had never suspected anything of the like before—surely he would have had a suspicion.

Dr. Moore nodded his head fervently. Yes. We insisted on that as a prerequisite for our tests.

Why? Aaron demanded. Something in his tone must have shown his anger, because the little man flinched as if hit.

Because, these experiments have been tried before—with horrible results.

Aaron leaned closer, his teeth pulled back in a furious snarl. So why try them again? He shouted the words, each word making the doctor sink more into himself.

We hoped that the empathic talent would shield you from the possible side affects. He wouldn't even look at Aaron as he spoke but continued to stare at the floor.

The words blunted Aaron's rage, catching him off guard. Shield us? How?

Moore looked up. There is a small area of the brain that is more developed in empaths and Dr. Barron suspected that it would be sufficient to keep the subjects sane. You were already soldiers, with the new talents the procedures gave you, you would have been an unstoppable special forces unit.

And? Did it work? Did it protect us from the side affects?

Dr. Moore shrugged. Don't know. It can take years, sometimes decades for the side affects to manifest themselves.

But you're not willing to wait and see, are you?

Moore shook his head, Couldn't risk it. If even a hint of these experiments got out, then this whole section of space would be quarantined, millions of people would die. It would be a disaster.

Tell me, Aaron said quietly, what did you do to me?

Dr. Moore hesitated, looking up at Aaron. He made eye contact and then lowered his eyes quickly.

Tell me! Aaron repeated, taking a step forward. At that moment, he would gladly have beaten the doctor to death.

Moore flinched backwards, cowering against the wall. All right! All right! I’ll tell you.

Aaron paused, glaring down at the doctor, who was busy trying to sink into the wall.

We, Dr. Moore hesitated and started again, we made you into a cyborg.

There it was; the words that Aaron had feared and dreaded. They had went and made him into a monster. A cyborg! Cyborgs started out as normal humans but then they were altered with robotic enhancements.

Cyborgs weren’t new. It had been tried before and with disastrous results. Before these dark times that they lived in, there had been an enormous empire that had spread across the known galaxy. The Akkadian dynasty had ruled for over three thousand years before collapsing. Since then the populated words had gone through a constant state of war. Smaller systems were conquered, absorbed into larger groupings, which ultimately broke apart soon enough; either due to civil war or war with their neighbors. One law had remained constant, inviolate; cybernetic experiments were not to be attempted. There was good reason for this. Before the fall of the Akkadian dynasty, cyborgs had been created and for a time things seemed to go well, until the cyborgs went psychotically insane. The crimes they committed were horrific and unimaginable. Since then, no civilization had attempted the creation of a cyborg, well, none that Aaron knew of anyway, and it wasn’t hard to understand why. Any civilization that tried to create a cyborg would be isolated and attacked, even by its most ardent allies. Only rudimentary cyborgs were allowed—artificial limbs, pacemakers, and the like.

Aaron took several deep breaths, trying to remain calm. You cut into my brain and connected a goddamn computer?

No! We tried an innovative method, Dr. Moore said quickly.

His words again caused Aaron to hesitate. His understanding of cybernetics was not extensive, but he thought it involved microscopic surgery to connect electronics to a person’s brain. Explain, he said simply.

It took a moment for Dr. Moore to find his voice again. Dr. Barron took a basic flu virus and altered its DNA. He made it into an organic program and then he injected it into your body.

Program?

Yes, he basically put the galactic encyclopedia into the code. If things go as expected, the program should interact with your brain and supply you with information. You’ll have an inexhaustible supply of knowledge in your head. You’re not a cyborg in the traditional sense of the word; there’s nothing robotic in you. The computer that interacts with your brain is an organic one.

What else? What else does this program do? Will it control me or cause me to do things that I won’t like?

Dr. Moore shook his head frantically. I swear I don’t know. I got the feeling that it was revolutionary and not designed to control you. I believe there simply wasn’t time to build in the necessary safeguards. Our need was simply too urgent.

Aaron was silent for a moment, considering how best to ask his next question. What would have happened if we had been able to turn the tide of the war? If the Commonwealth had won, would we still have been executed?

Dr. Moore didn't answer, not with words anyway but his dropping of his eyes to the floor was answer enough.

A feeling of depression settled on Aaron's shoulders. He had been used by his own country and the government had planned to simply discard him and the other volunteers when they were done with them.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself. How many of us are still alive? His words were calm but there was a fierceness in the quiet tone that seemed to scare Dr. Moore even worse than the shouting.

I don't know, the doctor answered, shaking his head. I, he paused before continuing in a rush, I was sent to handle your squad and three others.

The volunteers had been divided into squads, each of five members. They had been grouped together based on their abilities and had been training together for nearly six months. How many of the twenty that you were sent to kill are still alive?

Moore swallowed hard. Just your squad.

Aaron stared down at the cringing doctor, forcing himself to resist the urge to kill the man right out. Get up, he motioned towards the door, open it.

Dr. Moore climbed slowly to his feet, a little unsteady. He reached out a shaking hand to the keypad.

Aaron stepped up close. Don't do anything stupid; you'll be dead before you hit the floor.

The doctor nodded and punched in a six digit code causing the door to slide open. Aaron followed him closely into the next room.

When they had been assigned to squads, their living arrangements were changed, grouping squad members together. Aaron's door opened into a common living area that had six other doors besides Aaron's. One of those doors led to the hallway and out of their living area, a second door led to a shared shower, and the other four doors opened into cells just like Aaron's. His four fellow squad members should be behind those doors. For the doctor's sake, his fellow squad members had better be alive.

He pointed to the nearest door. Open it.

The doctor hesitated. You can't get away. There is no escape.

Aaron leaned close. You had better hope you're mistaken, because if we die, then you die with us.

Sweating now, Moore moved up close to the second door. In moments, the door slid open and a woman stood just inside the door. Her arms were crossed and her face was an angry mask. As soon as the door opened, she stepped through and slapped Dr. Moore across the face.

The doctor stepped backwards, nearly falling over. Aaron quickly interjected himself between the two. At ease, Major.

Major Susan Ingram turned her glare on him. She was of average height and slim, but in good physical shape. Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore no makeup. She wouldn't be called attractive, although she wasn't un-attractive either. She was plain and didn't seem to try overly hard. Her nose was perhaps a little too wide for her face and her hair pulled back tight gave her a masculine look. They were going to kill us, she said simply.

Aaron nodded. I know. He held up the laser needle, showing it to her. Poison, he said simply. He wasn't surprised that Susan already knew about the government's plan for them, no matter what talent she had come in with, the experiments had turned her into a telepath. Telepaths were far more rare than empaths. While empaths could sense a person's emotions, a telepath could actually hear the thoughts of other people. How long have you known?

Almost a day, she replied simply. I could sense the feelings of rage and betrayal as they started killing the patients.

Aaron didn't respond right away; he could only imagine the feeling of helplessness that must have threatened to overwhelm Susan as she sensed what was going on around them. He had only suspected that something horrible was going on, but she had actually known.

I'll be okay, Susan said, as if reading his thoughts. She was staring at him intently.

Come on then, Aaron said, giving her a small smile. Let's see if we can get away from this awful place. He hadn't known Susan before they had been assigned to this squad, but she had been easy to like. She was cool, unemotional, and very dedicated to her job. She was also his second-in-command.

And if we can't get away, Susan asked, continuing to watch him.

He probably didn't need to verbalize his answer to a telepath, but he did anyway. Then we die trying.

They moved on, opening the other doors. First out was Captain Russell Hicks. He was in his mid-thirties and in excellent physical conditioning. His brown hair was cut short as befitting a military man and there was a touch of grey scattered through the sides above the ears. He had been a weapons officer in the army and followed orders well during their training together. The experimentation had given him telekinetic abilities, allowing him to move physical objects just by thinking about it. He was not a telepath and the questions began almost as soon as the door opened. What the fuck is going on? He opened his mouth to speak again but froze at the sight of Dr. Moore cringing back behind Aaron.

Aaron held up a hand. In a minute. Let's get the rest out before answering questions.

Next up was Lieutenant Jessica Lyter. She was a young woman in her early thirties, with shoulder length blond hair and a thin face. She was somewhat pretty but there was a bookish look about her. In her prior life, she had been a ship's medical doctor.

Aaron had been concerned with Jessica's initial assignment to his group and the truth be told, he still was concerned. Most members of the military tended to be pretty good at following orders, but in his experience, if there was going to be someone resisting orders, it would be a member of the medical staff.

Her newly found talent had no name that Aaron was aware of; he called her an illusionist. Somehow, she was able to project sights and sounds to those around her. She was able to cause distractions at will, truly a great skill to have on a team.

The last team member to be released was Lieutenant Adam Campbell. He was the youngest of the group, just twenty-eight years old. He also was the cockiest. In Aaron's experience, pilots, especially young ones, were always cocky. He was close to average height, maybe five foot ten, and in good shape; women tended to find him attractive. The experiments had given him heightened reflexes and senses. His reflexes bordered on being precognitive. His brown hair was cut short and he too wore an angry look. Bout fucking time. His eyes quickly scanned the group coming to rest on the cowering doctor. His face seemed to lose some of its anger. What's going on?

Good fucking question. Russell was eyeing the doctor with obvious distaste.

They were going to kill us, Aaron said simply—no reason to sugarcoat it for them.

What? Jessica burst out, her brow pulled down in confusion That can't be right. Why would they kill us?

Aaron pushed the doctor into the middle of the group. Start talking.

Hesitantly at first, the doctor repeated everything he had already told Aaron. Russell and Adam both seemed to get angrier with every word, but Jessica simply looked disbelieving.

I can't believe that the Commonwealth would do such a thing. Surely they wouldn't kill us. We're their soldiers.

Russell glanced at Susan. After a moment, she nodded and he turned his attention back to the cowering doctor. It's simple. I say we give him the shot of poison that he intended for us.

Adam looked agreeable, Jessica looked troubled, and Susan looked like she could care less what happened.

No, Aaron said simply. If he helps us escape, then we'll let him live.

What can I do? Dr. Moore asked quietly.

Chapter 2

What's the personnel situation on the station? Aaron asked. He pointed at Susan, Remember, she'll know if you lie.

Most have already been removed. There's only a skeleton crew left. Dr. Moore answered quickly, his eyes darting around at the angry faces staring at him.

Are the cameras being watched? Russell asked.

Yes, but only in the corridors around the patient quarters.

Made sense. They wanted to make sure that none of them escaped. Aaron glanced at Jessica. Can you mask us? Project an image of an empty hallway?

Jessica nodded. Yes, but not for long.

Okay, Aaron said after a moment, then we run. He looked at Dr. Moore. If you lag behind– He didn't finish the sentence, instead he hefted the shock stick and pointed to the doctor's head.

Dr. Moore went white. I'll go as fast as I can.

Aaron tossed the shock stick to Adam. Stay with him, only use the stick if he doesn't cooperate.

Adam caught the stick out of the air and grinned. If possible, the doctor went even paler.

Where are we running to? Russell asked, looking Aaron's way.

Power plant, Aaron answered.

This station, where the medical experiments and subsequent training had taken place, was on a small barren moon that orbited a gas giant planet. The moon had no atmosphere and was completely inhospitable; it probably had been an asteroid that the gas giant's gravity had captured. There weren't any habitable planets in this system and it was removed from trade routes. In other words, it was an out of the way system and the perfect place to go unnoticed. The station had been built by the military to withstand an attack and even though it was a small station, it had been given a rather oversized power plant. The plant generated the electricity for the station, but more importantly, it powered the shields and tractor beams. If they were going to get away, then they had to find a way to shut down the tractor beams.

Does the station have any weapon systems? Russell asked, scowling at the doctor.

Dr. Moore shook his head quickly. No. We're a research facility. We rely on the shielding to protect us long enough for reinforcements to reach us.

That made sense too. If someone attacked, then the Commonwealth could rightly claim that an unarmed research outpost had been attacked—that would look bad for the attackers. On the other hand, with the shielding available they should be able to outlast all but the most determined of attacks.

Aaron motioned to Susan. You're in the front with me. Let me know if you sense anyone. Being a telepath, she would be able to tell if there was anyone in their vicinity before they ran up on them. He glanced around at his squad, pleased to see determination on their faces. Dr. Moore simply looked terrified. Ready?

Yes, sir, they answered as one.

He pointed at the doctor who quickly entered a code for the last door. It opened and they sprinted into the hallway beyond.

Several minutes later they stopped their mad dash, just outside the living quarters section of the station. They stopped in the middle of a tee junction. The station had brightly lit hallways, just like a hospital should. The walls were grey with a vertical light running from floor to ceiling every ten feet or so. In addition, there was an unbroken ceiling light running the length of the passage. They hadn't spotted anyone else. Dr. Moore was breathing hard and leaning forward, resting his hands on his knees.

Did you sense anybody alive in those rooms? Aaron asked Susan, motioning back the way they had come. He still held out hope that some of the other volunteers were still alive.

She shook her head. No, I haven't sensed anyone. That was depressing news. All, or at least most of their fellow volunteers must already be dead.

Turning his attention to the doctor, Aaron had to resist the urge to throttle the man. Doctor, which way to the power plant?

Dr. Moore looked up, already starting to breathe easier. He motioned to the hallway to the right. That way. It's not far.

Aaron nodded. Come up here with me. You can lead the way. The doctor slowly obeyed and Aaron glanced over at Jessica. You okay? he asked. Jessica nodded but he wasn't sure that he believed her. She was pale and sweaty, and looked like she might be sick at any moment. Creating the image of an empty hallway must have taken more out her than he had suspected.

Russell moved over and stood beside her. I'll watch her. Jessica hesitantly smiled up at him, still