The Unincorporated War (76 page)

“He assures me he’ll get us a victory.”

There was a collective exhalation.

“How?” asked Irma.

“Beats me, but I trust him. If he says he’ll get us the win we need, I believe he’ll get us the win we need. Let’s move on, shall we?”

Everyone nodded.

“I’d like to bring up another problem we’ve all been ignoring.” Hektor activated a control in front of him that dispersed a report to each minister’s
holodisplay. They all read it, with first detachment, then confusion, and finally concern.

“Religion,” said Irma. “I’d heard rumors, but are you sure it’s as bad as what this report says?”

Tricia looked to Hektor, who nodded his assent for her to continue. “It’s as bad, maybe worse. I helped the President with the research and intelligence for the report. But I must admit I wouldn’t have known to look for a threat like this if he hadn’t come and asked me to investigate religious activity from a security point of view.”

“How did you know?” Franklin asked, looking at Hektor.

“Well, I didn’t at first. Like all of you, I knew there were religious kooks in the belt left over from centuries past, but they barely numbered a million. There were some reports that a smattering of Alliance citizens were becoming religious, but compared to all the other things the Alliance was doing it didn’t seem too significant. Then Dr. Harper brought a couple of cases to my attention. They had brain patterns similar to the action wing terrorists Sean and Cassandra Doogle. Then I remembered all those classes I took on the Grand Collapse and what role the religious fanatics had played in the downfall of that civilization.” Hektor sighed. “I just didn’t realize Justin would stoop to this. Brainwashing his own people to turn them into more effective and dangerous enemies of the UHF.”

“Why don’t they just resist the brainwashing?” asked Brenda. “Stupid idiots, believing in fairy tales and superstition.”

“Justin is subtle,” answered Hektor. “He doesn’t force the Alliance to the temple gates.”

“I believe what the President is trying to say,” interjected Tricia, “is that Cord doesn’t need to use force. He got Admiral Black to pretend to become religious and then used the grief caused by the war to encourage people to look at the religious option again. As more and more of the Alliance fleet followed their admiral it was simplicity itself for the religious fanatics to start spreading their poison after the centuries-long wait. They had the books and rituals and ‘holy men’ all waiting to start that age of darkness all over again.”

“What does Justin care that he’s risking unleashing a horrible curse on humanity again?” asked Hektor. “It’s just one more horror from the past. The perfect trifecta really: disincorporation, war, and now religion.”

“By Damsah,” griped Porfirio, “just when I think I can’t hate the Unincorporated Man any more, he unleashes another plague we haven’t had to face for centuries. Why doesn’t he just die?”

Hektor nodded sympathetically. “Assassination wouldn’t be easy and may make reconstruction difficult. A truly defeated Alliance with Justin at the head,
forced to surrender, will be easier to absorb than one haunted by a martyred ‘Saint’ Justin.” Hektor didn’t add that he’d devoted enormous resources to Justin Cord’s psyche, Neela notwithstanding, and that he’d come to the conclusion that Justin must remain alive if the UHF was to win the war. Justin, unlike himself, was trapped by a moral code that Hektor was betting would trap the Alliance. That is, if the UHF could survive the next six months.

“Is this religious infection spreading to our side?” asked Franklin.

“It’s all our side, Franklin,” said Hektor. “That’s why we’re fighting this war.”

“Of course, Mr. President. Is this infection spreading to the areas … under lawful control?”

“Actually,” answered Tricia, “it’s made small inroads with the pennies, but so far it’s very disorganized and haphazard. I would say it’s more like a form of protest against the government than a true belief.” She called up a slew of graphs for them to digest. “As you can see here, it’s not yet a threat worth devoting resources to.”

Franklin raised a hand in agitation. “Thought for the cabinet: My study of history has led me to believe that these religions are famous for starting small and insignificant and then spreading uncontrollably with incredible speed.” He fiddled with his controller and brought up some maps with migration graphs. “This is the spread of Islam. This is the spread of Christianity. This is Mormonism and Buddhism. Now you must realize that these religions all spread before the advent of modern communication and transportation technologies.”

“I thought the Mormons started during the age of the telephone and the automobile,” said Brenda.

Franklin checked his DijAssist. “No, they got started just at the beginning of the age of the telegraph and the railroad, but according to the Neuro they insisted on taking wagons pulled by horses to a desert where many of them died on the way.”

“Why would they do that if they had a faster and more viable form of transportation?” asked Irma.

“I don’t know. Do I look like a religious nut to you?”

“Grow a long beard and carry a rug on your back,” sniffed Porfirio, “and you just might make a good Mormon.”

“I think that’s a Muslim,” offered Tricia.

Porfirio scoffed at the correction. “Whatever.”

“A good point’s been made, though,” said Hektor. “What are we gonna do about this religion thing, both in the UHF and in areas under Alliance control?”

No one offered up an answer.

“I suppose,” continued Hektor, “I could begin a sweep with arrests and interrogations for the pennies who seem to be spreading this crap. Luckily, most citizens
of the UHF are not swayed by primitive superstitions. My only worry is that any strong-arming will be viewed as oppression, which might have an adverse effect on what it is I’m trying to do.”

Irma’s face suddenly lit up.

“Out with it,” demanded Hektor.

“Porfirio’s joke might offer an answer. We start a news campaign showing how DeGens are falling for this religious opiate hand over fist. We interview the ‘leaders’ of the religious groups and show some of their prayer rallies.”

“Are DeGens really religious?” asked Brenda.

“They are now,” Irma said with a bland smile.

Hektor nodded his approval, then looked over to his minister of defense. “Porfirio is to be congratulated.”

“Oh, I can’t possibly take all the credit. Secretary Sobbelgé did present it well.”

This brought a small laugh from the group.

“How long would it take to get this sort of campaign up and running?” asked Hektor.

“Anyone who has a religious thought will be embarrassed to express it to their mothers in a locked room at midnight inside of two weeks,” answered Irma confidently.

“I like it,” said Hektor. “I think for this circumstance derision will be a far better tool to silence dissent than fear, and I see it working here, but what do we do about the Alliance?”

“Well, Mr. President,” said Porfirio, “it seems to me that the religious infection started with that core of believers. Does anyone else really know about this religion stuff, I mean all the mumbo jumbo incantations and arcane rituals that seem to make it so important?”

Hektor looked over to his minister of information. “Tricia, how about it?”

“My department has only started an extensive look at the data, but a search of the Alliance Neuro that is accessible keeps on showing the same names over and over again in any serious discussion. So far it would appear that the reintroduction of this superstitious drivel is in the hands of the originally infected. They’ve converted some prominent figures, including the great traitor herself, though whether her conversion is real or just a ploy to dupe her subordinates into being more fanatical is hard to tell.”

“How about Justin Cord?” asked Porfirio. “Has he become a wafer-eating devotee of Muhammad as well?”

“I don’t think those two go together, and no,” replied Tricia, “he seems to be supportive but is not a regular observer, near as we can tell.”

“He wouldn’t be,” said Porfirio contemptuously. “Unleash the plague, but
don’t actually be seen unleashing it. That way if it fails he can claim innocence. Damned coward.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Out of curiosity,” continued Porfirio, “are these supposed leaders ever in the same place at the same time?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” said Tricia, suddenly seeing what Porfirio had been getting at and looking at him with renewed respect. “There’s going to be a gathering of the major religious figures at their main community of belief, called Alhambra. Few weeks from now, actually.”

“How’d you learn about it?” asked Brenda.

“It’s not hidden. It’s an open conclave of religious leaders to discuss the latest trends in religious thought and the impact of what they’re calling the ‘Astral Awakening.’”

“Well then, I propose we blow the crap out of it,” said Porfirio.

“I like how you think,” said Hektor, listening attentively. “Go on.”

The image above the table was replaced by a holo of the now-familiar belt. “We have this beautiful fleet in orbit here,” said Porfirio. He then brightened two areas. “Here’s Mars and here’s Alhambra. We send fifty ships of the Mars fleet to Alhambra and blow the crap out of it. We have the interior lines here.” A straight line appeared from Ceres to Alhambra, only forty degrees away along the belt. “We avoid all the usual defenses the belt has and attack this one target. If our fastest ships are deployed, they should be able to destroy the rock and get back before that traitorous bitch can respond. Actually, I’d like her to try to attack the orbats we have in place now.” Porfirio started to enter other commands into his DijAssist and images appeared over the table. “We’d need to have the attacking squadrons appear to be heading out in all directions. This will cause the Belters to stay in place while they try to figure out what our real objective is. Maybe we can let it be hinted that it’s a complicated way to circumnavigate the defenses of Ceres. That will cause the Alliance to order all civilians to stay put while they figure it out and when they do—”

“It’ll be too late,” said Hektor appreciatively. He’d just seen one more indication that he’d made the best choice for his defense minister. “Alhambra will be destroyed.”

“I don’t have any liking for fanatics,” said Brenda, “but we haven’t purposely targeted civilians in this war. Are we sure this is something we want to start?”

“They’re not civilians,” answered Hektor, with a cruel finality. “Religion is a plague from the past that must be eradicated for the good of the future.”

“Could strong-arming the Alliance result in the effect we discussed earlier?” asked Brenda.

“Doesn’t apply here,” answered Hektor. “Here the pennies are under our
purview, not so the fanatics of the Alliance. We take out the leaders just like we try to take out officers in battle. There’s no difference. They’re using religion as a weapon and we’re fighting back with weapons of our own. Only ours will be a little more direct,” he said somewhat glibly. “Besides, I think it’s time that the Alliance understands the true price they’ll have to pay for this war.”

The cabinet once again all shook their heads in agreement.

“So,” continued Hektor, “a show of hands for all in favor of these two policies to eliminate the threat posed by religion.”

The vote was unanimous.

UHF flagship Liddel

The newly commissioned warship was a far cry from the
Strident,
thought Trang. This ship had an active complement of over a thousand, and that wasn’t including the assault marines, who could, if suspended, bring the total to over three thousand. His new ship could have fit a hundred
Stridents
inside. The warship had main guns that could hurl two-ton rounds at incredible speeds. She was armored to withstand near-atomic blasts from almost all sides. The ship was internally reinforced to withstand the stresses of rapid acceleration and swift axis turns. She had multiple power systems capable of powering New New York. And she was faster than anything he’d ever dreamed possible before the war had begun.

Yet in the recesses of his heart he knew that he’d have given almost anything to be back in the command chair of the
Strident
with his old friend by his side as opposed to the eponymously named ship. But that was the bane of permanent death. No matter how big, how powerful, or how many ships you had, you could never get back what was lost. But you could make the sacrifices worth it.

Trang was in his private suite. That had also taken some getting used to. He had quarters big enough to house forty armored marines. To be fair, it wasn’t just his sleeping quarters, but his office and the nerve center of the entire UHF fleet at the 180. In addition, it had a conference room, a war room, a communications hub separate from the bridge, and even a small library—the one indulgence he’d allowed them to bestow. During the initial planning stages he’d mentioned in passing that his favorite room in his old home had been the reading room with the wall of actual books and the big, overstuffed chairs. Somehow Jackson had found out what the old room looked like and had it added to his quarters. She said it was an easy add-on in that they just replaced the planned kitchen they knew he’d never use—Trang only ever ate what was issued to his spacers. He’d tried to protest, but the reading room was already in and would have taken more resources to remove. So, he’d finally reasoned, while the library might be considered an indulgence it would at least be a well-used one.