Fireteam Delta, J. Halpin [online e book reading .txt] 📗

. .” Summers began. “I can say without a doubt that that is a terrible idea.”

“I have a duty to my men, Corporal. And to you. You didn’t sign up with my unit, so I’m giving you the choice. If we go home, I have my doubts you’ll ever see the sun again. You would be an active danger to our world. With Wendel’s cooperation, we can reactivate the gate, and destroy it on our way out without harming his precious Anchor. The few experts we still have with us are confident he won’t be able to follow. He gets what he wants, and so do we.”

“And what about the world we’re on? We’re the ones who brought this thing here.”

Summers glanced back to the group at his side. Asle had lost everyone she knew because of what the army had done. So had the twins, Orvar.

“Is that true?” Synel looked to the colonel. “You’re the reason for . . . this?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” Cortez looked puzzled. “Why bring this here?”

“We thought it was the safest way to contain a threat we only thought was a possibility. As it turns out, it was the right move.” The colonel hesitated. “As I said, even if we were to destroy the gate and that . . . thing . . . we couldn’t stop what’s happening.”

“You want to leave.” Asle’s words dripped with anger.

“I was sworn to protect the United States—my people, not yours. I’m sorry, but—”

“Sorry?” Asle shouted. “Your people are the reason everyone I loved died! You punish that man for making a deal when you’re planning to do the same thing!”

Summers was taken aback by the sheer emotion in her voice.

The colonel didn’t respond. Instead, she regarded Asle.

“Jacobs’s actions just confirmed what I knew. We can’t last like this. I don’t make any excuses for what I’ve done, but I can promise you that you and your friends would have a home on Earth. That’s all I can do.”

Distantly, Summers realized that anything that applied to him would concern Asle, as well. She might not be as far along as Summers, but a single drop of her blood could mean the end of their world, just like his.

It was almost a relief when he realized Nowak hadn’t mentioned it to the colonel. But that was a bridge they’d have to cross, eventually.

“We’ve made strides in understanding the organism inside you, Corporal. From what your sergeant told me, I’m certain we can produce a more sophisticated method of control. And I can assure you that we’ll be doing everything in our power to find a cure.”

It didn’t escape Summers that Asle was now glaring openly at the colonel.

“Have a decision for me by morning. No matter the choice, I’ll ensure you’ll have our full cooperation.”

And with that, the colonel turned to leave.

Summers stood there, watching her go. They’d come all this way, just for the chance to get back home. Really, Summers had come to make sure his friends, at least, had the choice. Now, finally faced with the decision head-on, he wasn’t sure what he should do.

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“You’ll be a guinea pig the rest of your life,” Cortez muttered.

They’d been given a small set of rooms at the far edge of the base, beside the walls. Summers thought it would have been a barracks if most of the furniture wasn’t destroyed. When he’d filled them in on what Jacobs had told him, it just made things more complicated.

Pat, Orvar, and the twins hadn’t said much since.

“She’s right. Think about it, why would the army be interested in a cure?” Nowak pointed at Summers. “My family’s old military. I grew up on a base. I know what they’re about. And the second someone sees what you can do, they’re going to be trying to figure out how to make more. You’ll be a weapon. They would use what you are to kill god knows how many.”

“As opposed to staying and dying when these things show up? That would be the good thing to do?”

“I—” Nowak stumbled over his words. “I didn’t mean it like that, man.”

“I know. And trust me, I don’t want that, but . . . this Wendel guy, who’s to say he can’t follow us? That once he gets finished here . . .” Summers glanced at the others. “What’s to say he doesn’t come back to Earth? We’d need a way to fight them off at their level. Maybe that’s me.”

“Or, more likely, some general gets a hard-on for super soldiers and kickstarts the end of the world themselves.” Cortez stared Summers down. “It wouldn’t surprise me if that’s was what they were after this whole time.”

“Maybe . . .”

As they spoke, Asle and Synel sat in the corner, trying to find somewhere remote enough to wait out the storm, should they choose to stay.

Summers gestured to the map in front of them.

“Any luck?”

“Populated areas are too dangerous. And where people aren’t, beasts are. Any place with neither would be too difficult to settle. Even then, I’m not confident we’d be truly safe, given what we’ve seen.”

She was taking the news far better than Summers would have expected. Or maybe, she was simply better at hiding it. At least she didn’t blame him—hopefully.

Asle kept her head glued to the paper. In fact, the girl hadn’t said much since their talk with the colonel. She’d been as angry as he’d ever seen her, and given what they’d dragged her through, that was saying something.

“Asle? What do you think?”

“Everything that woman said was a lie.” Asle hugged her knees to her chest. “She doesn’t want to help us. She just wants to use us.”

Summers hadn’t discounted that possibility. In fact, he’d suspected as much himself. But still . . .

“Should