30 Days a Soldier

Chapter 5: Planning For The Worst

Two Months before invasion

September 2nd 2017

Terra Nova

Rooks Rest

UN Building

Tensions were running high within the conference room. Lights flaring off the vast black glass circular table, numerous flags circling the room denoting dozens of countries, and dozens of representatives both military and civilian talking among themselves as they prepared themselves for the worst. They all knew where this was all going, the allied negotiations with the Ashren were stalling and it appeared that the Ashren were only using the time to consolidate their forces ready for a further thrust into allied space.

If that push ever came they all knew just how vulnerable Earth was; Earth had very little in place of orbital defences – not that they could really do much anyway – and Earth had only a handful of warships which were decidedly decades behind most of their allies technologically, centuries in some areas. Granted they had the trained people in their colonists whom were part of the allied fleets, and while their militaries on the ground were certainly well trained and used to war, they lacked the technological edge which the Ashren had.

"Look, we all knew that there was a possibility we may one day lose Earth, we knew that back in '63 and we prepared for that possibility just like we were advised to do so", the slightly overweight and elderly Brigadier General Thomas Sanderson announced to the room. The Seloi, the first race to open up negotiations with Earth, was of the mindset that any number of natural or unnatural occurrences could happen wiping out all life on a planet and so, it was best to spread out and colonise other worlds. Humans had a similar concept in that you don't keep all your eggs in one basket, and so it was in 1966, humans created their first of two planetary colonies. Were it not for allied assistance, those colonies would likely have been within the Sol system, maybe on Mars or Europa, but thanks to that assistance, the space race had drawn to a close and hospitable locations were found.

"I still say we should fight, we're talking about our homeworld here. If the Ashren want it then they can take it from my cold dead hands and not before I turn it into an irradiated rock", the heavyset voice of his German counterpart Brigadegeneral Bayer spat across the table to the general support of most of those around him.

Moving over from the British contingent as he caught wind of this argument, Major General Whitehouse fought back, "Aye, we stay and we fight, but the Lutetians did the same, they were just as adamant as you are Augustus. Tell me, how many Lutetians are alive now? 100 million? 200 million? From a population of 13 billion, less than 200 million are still alive today. 200 million! And their technology far outstripped our own, they had a standing military unlike most of our allies..."

"A standing military...a military which hadn't seen a war in hundreds of years..." Colonel Farnsworth added in support of Bayer.

Chuckling, Whitehouse still kept up his defence "they still outmanoeuvred half of us during the wargames, or have you forgotten that little fact James", it was a gutting insult to the US Colonel, in the simulated wargames not five years previously his forces had been completely wiped out and it was only thanks to his US Army superior that any sense of order was maintained.

Noting the entry of a tall spindly grey hair covered figure, Whitehouse turned to the room at large, "Have no doubt, Sanderson is correct, if push comes to shove then the only chance for many of our people is to leave Earth. Strategically it is the only option, just as it was in World War 2 when the allied forces evacuated from Dunkirk. And like during that same war, when we are most able we will return to Earth, but not a moment before. Granted, it may never come to that, and I sincerely hope it doesn't, but should we be faced with invasion then we need to save as many as possible." This time his words were met by nods from around the room as representatives and military officers whom had been unable to decide the right option, nodded their ascension at Whitehouse's view.