"It wasn't like that."
"It was, Lem. Your heart might have gone pitter patter eventually, but you were playing her for your own gain. What's that American phrase? The pot calling the kettle black?"
Lem waved his arms and stepped away. "I am finished with you. Done. I don't know why I ever wasted time seeking your approval. You were never going to give it anyway. It's no wonder Mother left us. It's no wonder she's crazy. How could she not be if you treated her like you treat me."
Ukko stood erect and straightened his coat. "Are you done throwing your tantrum now?"
It was such an infuriating thing to say, so condescending, that Lem couldn't form a response.
"You're upset, Lem. My e-mail tactic with Despoina may not have been ideal from your perspective, but love was the reason for Simona's disloyalty to me. So it was her love that I needed to test. Simona would be eager to give you proof that might end your relationship with Despoina. I needed to see if her loyalty to me was stronger. It wasn't. Had I known you have would reacted the way you did, I would have taken another approach. We both made mistakes. As for your mother, yes, I probably drove her to her mental state. You're a little old to be having that eureka moment now, though. You should have reached that conclusion about twenty years ago."
The makeup artist had left her mirror on Father's desk. He picked it up and examined his hair. "As for being done with me, well, that's a problem. Because I clearly can't give the company to you if that's going to be our relationship."
He set down the mirror and faced Lem.
Lem paused. "You'll never give this company to me, Father. You never intended to."
"I'm giving it to you now, Lem. I'll put all my stocks in a blind trust. You have plenty of enemies on the Board, however, so I'd advise you to clean house and set things in motion to remove people. Ramdakan can help. He's an expert at that sort of thing. He can tell you who the snakes are, and I assure you we have plenty. I'm as gentle as a butterfly compared to some. Also, I'd recommend putting Benyawe on the Board. We'll be deemphasizing our mining operations and putting a greater emphasis in innovation and shipbuilding. That's our future, Lem. Lots and lots of military ships. We'll be outfitting most of the International Fleet."
"What's the International Fleet?"
"I'll show you. It's time to make history, son."
Father led them from the room. Maxwell was practically coming out of his skin, he was so worried about the time. He checked his holopad four times during the brief elevator ride down. When the doors opened and they stepped off, they found themselves in one of the holo rooms. The overhead lights had been dimmed. A crew of technicians was making final adjustments to the rig of lights and holoprojectors in the center of the room. Ukko paused to shake hands with the twenty or so reporters on Luna who had come to witness the event. Natasha, the makeup girl, brushed Father's cheeks with a light powder.
Maxwell got everyone into position. Father stood off to the side in the darkness. The crowd quieted. The technicians removed their ladders and disappeared into the shadows. The holofield beneath the projector glowed to life.
The heads of five people appeared in the field. Lem recognized a few of them. The secretary general of the United Nations was in the center, a Brazilian woman named Silva. The others were the heads of China, Russia, India, and NATO, who was an American. Secretary Silva spoke first. She greeted everyone who was watching this historic announcement via holo. She explained that each member of the holo was sitting in his or her own headquarters and speaking to reporters gathered at each site.
Silva then spoke for ten minutes on the need for a united global military consisting of soldiers from every nation on Earth. This International Fleet would be led by two experienced military leaders with a track record of working with international troops and resolving global conflicts. The position of Strategos would be responsible for the overall defense of the solar system. "This duty would go to Lieutenant Colonel Yulian Robinov, who is currently serving as the chair of a council of international military leaders also known as Strategos, from which this new position derives its name." Robinov appeared in the holo alongside the others, with his name and title suspended in the air beneath him.
Secretary Silva continued. "Robinov's international peacekeeping force known as the Mobile Operations Police, who will serve as a model for the International Fleet, was recently responsible for ending the atrocities in China and bringing this horrific war to a close."
The second position of Polemarch, she explained, would be responsible for the construction, maintenance, and operation of the International Fleet's warships. "That duty goes to Major Khudabadi Ketkar of India, whose careful leadership fostered the alliance of Indian Para Commandos and the Chinese military, and who ended the Formics' gas attacks and helped turn the war in our favor."
Katkar appeared in the holo.
Silva welcomed him and then continued. "Creating and maintaining a defense through the International Fleet is a monumental undertaking that will require the resources and efforts of everyone. All nations must join in a united effort to protect our planet from future attacks while maintaining global harmony and peace. This council therefore proposes the formation of a global Hegemony. This Hegemony would consist of member nations committed to protecting our planet and the human race. Member nations would maintain their current system of government; but in global matters they would counsel with the Hegemony, who knows no borders and whose only interest is the planet as a whole and all of its inhabitants. Hegemony offices would be dispersed around the world so that Formics couldn't destroy one capital and thus our global government. We would move the Hegemon's core staff from city to city but never in the capitals of China, Russia, India, or the USA.
"No man is more qualified for the position of Hegemon than the president and CEO of Juke Limited, Ukko Jukes."
A small holofield encircled Father's head where he stood, projected down from a shelf above him. A large floating holo of his head appeared to the right of Secretary Silva.
"As a citizen of the moon," Silva said, "Ukko Jukes represents all of humanity and not any one nation. His devotion to the people of Earth is indisputable. His dedication to our safety, unquestionable. His vast success and experience in the private sector makes him uniquely qualified to handle the heavy logistical demands of building and mobilizing an international fleet. What we are proposing will be the largest undertaking in human history. To lead that effort, we require a hegemon who has proven he is capable of managing operations on such a massive scale.
"The United Nations will vote on this measure tomorrow during our general session, followed by a ratifying vote within each member nation. It is our hope that all nations of the Earth will join this united effort to prevent the atrocities that occurred within China. Never again should one nation suffer alone."
Silva then gave the floor to Robinov, Ketkar, and Father, who each gave brief prepared statements. Lem barely heard a word they said. His mind was reeling. Father as Hegemon, the supreme leader of Earth. It seemed so obvious now. Father had been orchestrating this from the beginning. That's why he had met with the woman from the state department and other dignitaries and officials since. And of course the United Nations would vote unanimously tomorrow. Father would never agree to participate unless he was certain of the outcome.
The holo ended. Father stepped forward and took questions from the reporters present. When asked if he intended to lead both the Hegemony and the company, Father said, "My new responsibilities as Hegemon will consume all of my time. It would be an injustice to the people of Earth not to give them my complete focus and attention. I have asked my son Lem to function as president and CEO in my stead, a recommendation I am confident the Board of Directors will ratify. My son is the most tenacious, brilliant, and fearless man I know. You saw some of that, no doubt, in the vids and accounts of the final battle. I can't express the terror I felt to see him put his life in such danger. Lem is all the family I have. The thought of losi
ng him was almost too much to bear. My heart goes out to China and every parent in the world who has lost a child or loved one in this horrific ordeal. And I give you my solemn promise, should I be elected Hegemon, I will do all in my power to ensure that we never lose our sons or daughters to an alien threat again."
Father thanked them for coming. Maxwell whisked Father away. Lem followed, and once the three of them were back in Father's office, Ukko began cleaning the makeup off his face.
"You've been choreographing this from the beginning," said Lem. "You knew the drones wouldn't work. Yet you sent them anyway to demonstrate to Earth that you were committed to the cause."
"I wanted them to work, Lem."
"Of course you did. If they worked, you'd become an instant hero. But if they failed, there was still much to gain. You would show Earth that you were willing to sacrifice your fortune to protect Earth. You'd still be a hero in a sense. And you sent the drones when you did because you couldn't have Victor and Imala succeed. You couldn't let me have the victory. That would throw your plans all out of whack."
"You did have the victory in the end, son."
"Yes, but only after you had showed the world you would do anything to protect us." Lem laughed. It was all so clear now. "Benyawe was right, you don't make mistakes. In fact, as soon as the drones failed, you changed your strategy to ensure that I would win. You told me about El Cavador, for example. You showed me Project Parallax because you knew I needed Victor to get a strike team inside the ship. And you knew that with information about his mother's whereabouts, I could reenlist him in my effort."
"We didn't know Victor was still alive at the time," said Father.
"You did. Somehow you knew."
"I'm flattered you think I have superhuman powers, Lem."
"And Ketkar. He helped Mazer and Wit in India and now he's Polemarch. There's a coincidence. What was it, Father? You and he strike a deal? He helps you orchestrate the alliance with China and India and you ensure his appointment as Polemarch."
Father went to the bar and began pouring two drinks.
"Then there's the vid of me," said Lem. "All the hidden cameras. You did it to increase your appeal. Now the world will see you as the father of a war hero. Or, if I died romantically in battle, you'd be the father of a fallen war hero, which might be better. You'd get the sympathy vote. Either way you win."
"Or here's a possibility," said Father. "I wanted my son to have a future leading this company. And by making that vid, I made it impossible for the board to disapprove of you." He handed Lem one of the drinks. "I'm offering you a future, Lem. Take it or leave it."
"Don't act like you're giving me a choice, Father."
Ukko grinned, clinked his glass against Lem's, and took a swallow. "Wonderful. I'll take that as a yes."
CHAPTER 26
Kim
Mazer took a civilian flight to Auckland, rented a car, and drove south to Papakura. It felt good to be on solid ground again. He had been ordered to report to base immediately, but he drove to Kim's office instead. He told the receptionist in the lobby that he was here to see Dr. Kim Arnsbrach.
"Is she expecting you?"
"No, ma'am."
"Who shall I say is visiting?"
"Tell her I'm a friend of Bingwen's."
The receptionist delivered the message, and a moment later Kim stepped off the elevator. She looked the same. Her hair was up in the back with her stylus stuck through it, holding it in place. He had sent her a brief text from Luna to let her know he was alive and well and soon coming back to New Zealand. But he hadn't called ahead today to tell her he was coming.
"I know I should have called first," he said. "But I was worried you might not want to see me."
"Why wouldn't I want to see you?"
He suddenly felt awkward. "Because of how things ended last time. You were angry."
"I was a lot of emotions. Anger might have been one of them. I'm also a big girl, Mazer. I cooled off. Life goes on. Isn't that what you wanted? For me to go on."
This wasn't going well. Five seconds in, and it was already awkward again.
"Sorry," she said. "That sounded snippy. I'm happy you're here. I'm just surprised is all." She examined his face. "You've lost weight. Your cheeks are sunken."
"It's been a rough few months."
She was quiet a moment and nodded. "I'm sorry about Patu and Fatani and Reinhardt. And Wit O'Toole and everyone."
"Me too. Do you have a minute? Can we talk somewhere?"
"The park across the street." She moved for the door, and he followed.
"Do you need to tell anyone?"
She gave a dismissive wave. "You pulled me from a boring meeting. I was about to throw myself from the building to get out of it anyway. They won't notice I'm gone."
The park was lush and green with rows of mature oaks along the paths that created a thick canopy overhead. The walkway was cracked and old and dappled with light. It smelled of flowers and cut grass.
"First off, thank you for helping Bingwen," he said.
Her face lit with a quick smile. "How is he?"
"He's in a military school in northern China. I spoke with the director yesterday. Now that the military is transitioning to the International Fleet, the director was unsure about the school's future, but he assured me that Bingwen was safe and would continue to be of interest to China. A lot is in flux, but I suspect they'll transition the school into a youth training facility for the IF."
"Can I contact him?"
"E-mail only. I'll send you his address. He would love to hear from you."
"This International Fleet," she said, "are you enlisting?"
"I already did."
She nodded but didn't look at him.
There was an old wooden gazebo with ivy growing up the sides. They sat on the bench inside. Mazer positioned himself so he was facing her.
"Everything I said before I left, Kim, about not wanting to be an absent father or husband is still true. I resolved to be single when I joined the military because I didn't want to subject my wife to that life. But I've been living that life every day since, Kim. I've been living it moment by moment, and I hate it. I hate it so deeply it makes me sick."
Her hands were in her lap. She watched his face, listening.
"I hate it because you are not in it, Kim. I know I told you to move on. I know I told you to find someone who could make you happier. And maybe you have. But I am going to fight for you, Kim Arnsbrach. I am going to fight to convince you to forget everything I said before. I don't want a life without you. And if there is another man in your life, I am going to scare him until he wets himself and runs away."
She allowed herself a smile.
He waited a moment before continuing. "My mother taught me when I was young that all of us are filled with mana. It means 'energy' or 'power,' and it flows into us from the natural world. Trees, animals, the wind. I know that probably sounds ridiculous, especially to a doctor, but--"
"It doesn't sound ridiculous," she said.
He nodded. "Well it sounded ridiculous to me. After my mother died, the older I got, it all sounded ridiculous. All of it. The dancing, the music, the fish gods and creature guardians. It was laughable, fantasy. My father scorned it, and so did I."
He looked down at his hands and back up at her. "And maybe most of it is fantasy. But this mana, this essence, that might be real. There's truth to that. When I crashed in China, when I woke up after the surgery, I felt as if life had drained out of me, Kim. I thought it was my body, the injuries, the weakness I felt. But it wasn't. I had lost it before then."
He took her hands. "You're the mana I lost, Kim. When I lost you, I lost life. If that sounds hokey and weird, so be it. If you think I'm crazy, fine. You wouldn't be the first to think so."
"You're not crazy," she said. "Annoying sometimes. Stubborn and bullheaded and a terrible communicator. But you're not off your rocker. Not yet."
"I'm a soldier, Kim. I always will be. T
hat's an imperfect situation for any marriage, I know. But I would rather have that, and do everything in my power to make you happy than to live one more second without you. Kei te aroha au ki a koe. I love you, Kim. I love you. I should have told you that a long time ago. And until you tell me to go away, I will tell you that every day of my life."
She didn't speak for a long moment. "Is this a marriage proposal, Mazer? Is that what this is? Because a girl dreams about this, and getting pulled out of a status meeting in the middle of the workday is not how she envisions it. You're supposed to be this brilliant strategic mind, capable of planning every meticulous detail of an operation. Yet you don't even have a ring, do you?"
"I have a ring. My mother's. But it's on base, locked up with my things. If I went to get it, I wouldn't be able to leave again. But I re-created it as best as I could to give you an idea of what it looks like." He pulled out his holopad and extended the antennas. A ring appeared in the holofield, hovering in the air. The gold bands were all braided together, encircling the diamond in the center.
Kim extended her hand and slid the ring on her finger. "I hope you don't expect me to carry a holopad around for the rest of my life."
Mazer set the holopad aside and got down on his knees, taking her hand. "Kim Arnsbrach. Will you be my wife and have my children and teach me to be as strong as you and smart as you and good as you?"
She pursed her lips, as if considering his offer. "I'm not sure. I've never much liked the last name Arnsbrach, but Rackham doesn't sound much better."
His heart fell for a moment, but then she smiled and said, "But we all must make sacrifices, I suppose. I have one condition."
"Anything."
"I want a Maori wedding."
He stood and took her in his arms and kissed her right there in the open for all the world to see.
CHAPTER 27
Belt
There was a line of applicants waiting outside the office when Victor arrived. He had posted a job opening on the free-miner nets the day before, but he had not expected to get such a big turnout. He needed three men, the post had said. All mechanics, preferably with experience retrofitting a salvage ship. They needed to be healthy and fit and willing to commit to at least four months on the job, not counting travel time to the Belt. If they proved themselves a valuable asset, they could possibly earn a crew position, but no promises were made.