Peter David - After Earth

The summons concerned him, but he flushed the issue from his mind, taking in the decor. The place needed paint and a new carpet. In fact, for a prestigious office it was downright worn-out and in need of a massive overhaul. Still, there were larger issues to worry about and money was growing scarce as more and more resources were being poured into the ark programs. Construction was scheduled to begin in just a few months, and he suspected that was why he had been summoned: to discuss security procedures when work began in the Sahara. Still, he was just a sergeant; what made him so special?

A plump Asian aide stepped from behind a closed door and gestured for Raige to join him.

“Takeo Sato,” the man said, shaking Raige’s hand with a single pump. “We’re running a little late, but please come with me.”

Raige entered the larger office of the secretary general, which needed refurbishment, as did the rest of the place. Of course, Constantine Lider had other things to concern himself with, and he struck Raige as the kind of man who didn’t notice his surroundings. He had liked Lider’s strenuous efforts to take Project Next Generation’s recommendations and make them a reality, ramming some of the less popular decisions through the UN. Of course, he had the full might of the Security Council behind him, and there was plenty of arm-twisting and outright threatening to get everyone, down to the last rogue state, on board.

“May I get you a drink? Some tea, perhaps?”

“Just water will be fine,” Raige said. He was handed a chilled bottle from a well-concealed minifridge and appreciatively slaked his thirst. The rising global temperatures, coupled with the plane’s dry air, made him feel constantly thirsty. The cool liquid felt terrific going down and helped steady him.

Before he could chug the whole bottle, a side door opened and Lider strode in, his hand already outstretched. He had gone entirely gray since taking office and appeared to have lost weight without having his suits taken in, making him appear gaunt. He looked like a man in desperate need of a weekend away, not that he had the time for such an indulgence. There was a planet to save, after all. Still, there was plenty of life in his eyes and the grin was broad.

“So glad to meet you, Sergeant Major,” Lider said, his German accent clear.

“A pleasure,” Raige replied, shaking the large hand, noting the strength it still possessed.

“How is it in Germany?”

“Pretty much as you left it, sir,” Raige said. “They’re restless but recognize their options are increasingly limited.”

“I wish we could properly communicate that to the less educated of this world. There are still over two billion illiterate people, and they operate strictly by rumor and word of mouth. That’s the chief cause of the panic, I fear. I wish we could do more.”

Lider gestured them to comfortably appointed straight-backed chairs surrounding a small blond wood conference table. Atop it were tablets with maps already lit up, most showing hot spots in Europe. Raige sat and continued to wonder what he was doing there.

“Sergeant, the coming decade may well be the final one for all of us on Earth,” Lider said. His tone dropped from friendly to deadly serious. “We’re gathering the supplies we need to begin the largest construction project ever undertaken. Everything we’re doing right now is on an unprecedented scale. In some cases, we have the material ready since it can be repurposed from one project to another. In other cases, we are still shorthanded, and that includes the Rangers.”

Raige knew that four years earlier Lider had ramped up recruitment, trying to reach the 1-million-man threshold sooner rather than later. They were still far short, but just about every able-bodied, soldier-worthy man and woman was being wooed to the Rangers. The promise of regular food and clothing was all the enticement some needed, whereas others wanted hard cash, refusing to believe it would soon be worthless. But Lider was right: The literacy and educational levels were a drag on training as remedial courses were added to the regimen, slowing down readiness for deployment.

“How are the troops?”

“I can’t speak for all of them, sir, but my squad in Germany is tired. We’ve been regularly deployed with barely seventy-two hours to rest and recharge.”

“Is burnout going to be a problem?”

“I think we need to schedule more R&R for the men,” Raige replied. He began to wonder where the questioning was going. Were things already so bad that they’d be pushed to the limit of endurance?

“Are you well armed enough?”

“It’s largely riot gear, which is designed for hard knocks. Thankfully, our rifles and ammunition are less frequently needed.”

“How’s the new foam working out?”

“It’s hell on the uniforms but really effective at slowing down the rioters,” Raige admitted. The foam contained a mild sedative that was absorbed through the skin and helped quell the attackers. Though controversial at first, it was the most humane way of dealing with people when language and cultural differences inflamed problems.

“Good to hear, although I doubt the comptroller will appreciate the higher cleaning bills.” He said it with a smile. He was joking, trying to ease whatever tension was in the air, but he looked as tired and worn as Raige.

“Things are only going to get rougher, Sergeant. We’ve pushed this planet to its breaking point. We just need to hold on until we can send some of us into space.” Raige knew that Project Next Gen had been founded years before to find a way to preserve life beyond Earth. They’d found a world light-years away and were racing the ecological clock to build the arks that were their last hope.

“How many do you think will make it?”

“Current planning is for ten arks using the Lightstream engines, each carrying about 125,000 people plus fish, birds, animals, plant life, and supplies. So, 1.25 million people out of nearly 12 billion.”

Raige was stunned by the small number despite the enormity of the project. He knew there was no way to save everyone, but that number for the first time in his life sounded woefully tiny.

“Your family is no stranger to those engines, are they?” Lider asked, accepting the tea Sato brought him. Without asking, Sato handed Raige a second bottle of water and then vanished out of sight.

“Yes, sir. My great-great-great grandfather was there at the beginning,” Raige said.

Lider nodded and asked, “What do you know of his work?”

“Growing up, we were all taught how he was a scientist at a Russian site where a starship apparently crashed,” he said, knowing how bizarre that sounded.

“Did it concern you that there is evidence of life beyond Earth?”

“I believe in the Bible, sir, but also accept that the universe is really too large for us to be the only ones.”

Lider nodded, sipping his tea, savoring the peaceful moment. “Good to know.”

“Thomas Raige, Viktor’s son, came over and seemingly started a dynasty,” Lider continued with a slight smile. “You’ve had aunts, uncles, cousins crawling all over the LST development. Now you’re in line to continue that legacy.”

Raige nodded in confirmation. He knew that Viktor Radoslav was a scientist at the time, and his son, Thomas, who was renamed Raige when he immigrated to the United States, continued the research. They were part of a team, sworn to secrecy about the alien discoveries. It was discussed only among the elders of the family, and where other families had confirmations or bar mitzvahs to mark the rite of passage, members of the extended Raige family were entrusted with this astonishing truth. He vaguely knew of the various Raiges who either helped protect its secrecy or plumbed the alien secrets.