The Oath

“Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say… Well, let’s put that hypothesis to the test - Commander Cassius: charge the plasma-cannon and prepare to fire.”

“Senator… There are civilians aboard that ship,” Commander Marcus Cassius protested. The other soldiers on the spacecraft's command-bridge turned towards the Senator, awaiting her reply.

Senator Calpernia Io looked Cassius directly in the eye.

“Their death is the moral responsibility of those who started this war. Not ours,” she said, with firm resolution. "They might be proud to know they’re dying for the sake of mankind.”

“Senator Io,” said Commander Cassius, in a low voice, “surely there is still time to board the ship with infantry - ”

“And risk close-range combat, Commander?” the Senator interjected. “You heard the transmission from High Command. The rebellion has spread across this entire solar system. We cannot allow strict rules of engagement to tie our hands. And besides, the only mercy in war is speed. The manifest counts a handful of humans on that ship. The rest are Er’loo and Vian’a - plus however many rebels… Their lives I consider forfeit.”

“Perhaps it would be better to let this vessel go, rather than condemn our fellow men to certain death,” the Commander beseeched his Senator. “Senator, when I joined the Coalition Army, I made an oath - ”

“Your oath is to the Senate, soldier! This is war, and we cannot save every human life. There’s a metric ton of antimatter aboard that ship. Enough to power an insurgent army for decades. You don’t think the aliens will use it as a weapon?”

“…I obey the Senate,” Commander Cassius murmured, “if you order me to fire, I will. With your permission, I will accompany the soldiers in the launch-control room, to see that it is done.”

“Make it so, Commander,” the Senator replied sharply.

“Specialist Titus,” Cassius turned to his subordinate officer, “if we lose radio contact, you have the bridge. See that the Senator’s orders are carried through.”

“Understood, Commander.”

Cassius excused himself from the command-bridge, and traveled by elevator to the deck which housed the launch-control room. There he found two soldiers on duty.

“Specialist Quintus. Valerian,” the Commander greeted them, “you have your orders. You’ll need to turn the launch keys simultaneously before the computer can fire the plasma-cannon. Remember your training. You’ve done this hundreds of times in simulation.”

Specialist Aurora Valerian gave a concerned look.

“Commander, that’s an unarmored merchant ship,” she said, “a single shot from the plasma-cannon will destroy it.”

“Yes, Specialist. I expect it will.”

“There are humans onboard - ”

“You have your orders, Specialist,” the Commander turned to the other soldier, “Quintus, any questions?”

“No sir.” The soldier looked straight ahead. His hands moved expertly over the buttons on his control station. He unlocked a set of launch keys from a nearby drawer, and placed the metal end into the cannon-ignition. “Sierra-Foxtrot-Two: ready-to-fire.”

Specialist Titus responded on the radio:

“Standby launch-control.”

“Sierra-Foxtrot-One. Ready-to-fire,” reported Specialist Valerian. Her hand rested on the launch key.

Several minutes passed. On the bridge, Specialist Titus ordered an accelerating burn from the engines to close the gap between their spacecraft and the hijacked merchant vessel. Commander Cassius felt this increase in velocity, and braced himself on a nearby handrail. The heightened output of the engine caused a low rumble in the core of the spacecraft.

“Soldiers,” Commander Cassius addressed Quintus and Valerian, “Our ancient ancestors lived in tribes that turned men into enemies. How fortunate we are in modern times, to view every man as our brother, in contrast to these aliens, who now seek to destroy us. You see, our forefathers predicted this day would come, when, with adequate technological means, the aliens would take up arms against us. Order required our unyielding insistence on the primacy of sole human rule. Misguided idealists amongst our own flock used their powers to slacken the Senate’s commitment to this principle; and now we see the costs. Deterrence lost. Blood must be shed to win it back. Like our ancestors, we are forced to spill kindred blood. But this time, we do it for all of mankind; not for the narrow interests of a tribe.” Commander Cassius concluded, breathlessly.

“…But Commander,” said Aurora Valerian, “there is no collective consciousness. We perceive the world as individuals, and when that cannon is fired the impact will end the whole existence of the people on that ship. Forever. For them, it will be the end of everything.”

“…such are the wages of war,” Commander Cassius sighed, “and if we do not end this war quickly, more will die. The Senator is right. We must be decisive. And even if she is wrong… We have our orders.” Commander Cassius said these last words as much to himself.

“With all due respect, Commander,” Aurora countered, “if we want to end this war quickly, we should attack the rebel population centers. Destroy their farms and their factories and force those who support this rebellion to sue for peace. What difference does it make to destroy one ship? What if we follow it instead? Right into the heart of the enemy - ”

“We cannot take that risk, Specialist. The Senator was right. There’s a large store of antimatter on that vessel. Larger than any in the solar system, perhaps. We cannot let it fall into enemy hands.”

“But it’s our job to protect people! Can’t the infantry at least try to board the ship? Please Commander, ask the Senator if we might pursue this vessel instead.”

“I am sympathetic to your view, Specialist, but the Senator was adamant.”

“Just ask Commander, once more - ”

The radio in the launch-control room squelched.

“Launch-control, this is the bridge. We have a firing solution. Distance-to-target, Three-Five-Zero Thousand kilometers. Requesting permission to engage.”

“…Commander. Ask. Please.”

The Commander’s expression revealed a struggle over some painful thought. His gaze met Aurora Valerian’s; his eyes filled with infinite sympathy. Commander Cassius keyed the radio link.

“Bridge, this is Commander Cassius. Green-light to engage. Initiate launch sequence. Authorization code: Niner-Alpha-Niner-Zulu.”

“Copy, launch-control. Initiating launch-sequence.”

Commander Cassius closed the radio link and addressed Aurora Valerian:

“War is hell, Specialist. Pray this one ends soon.”

Whatever expression flashed momentarily across the countenance of Specialist Valerian fell quickly thereafter beneath that veil of stoicism which is the habit of soldiers. An alarm blared in the launch-control room, and the lights dimmed to a blood-red hue. She turned to face the buttons on her control station, and with a slight flick of her wrist, engaged the launch-key in coordination with Specialist Quintus, activating the cannon. The engines which pumped liquid hydrogen across the cannon’s superconducting magnets shook the spacecraft's interior with heavy percussion.

Amidst this cacophony, the sound of static washed over the radio.

“L-minus ten seconds,” Specialist Titus reported from the bridge.

Commander Cassius breathed deeply. But his thoughts in that moment were interrupted by the robotic voice of the onboard AI:

“Radar-contact. Incoming mass. Collision-alert.”

Commander Cassius rushed to open radio-contact with the bridge. “Report?”

“Low-frequency radar-silhouette,” Titus announced. “Multiple signatures. Small, but moving fast.”

“Computer,” Cassius shouted, amidst the sound of the charging plasma-cannon, “Evasive maneuvers - ”

The Commander tried to grip the nearest handrail, but an overpowering force took hold of him, lifted him off his feet, and slammed him into the bulkhead. It happened quickly. Marcus Cassius felt a sharp, cold sensation in his head before everything went black.