EarthFall

Chap 27 You have no idea

Somewhere on Mars.

Carson and Brianna sat with the Doc in his studies. They had gone over all the major points. Doc sat dumbfounded, smoking from a pipe. The smoke filled the air.

He sat in thought for quite a while before he spoke.

"So what now?" Doctor Bowers finally asked.

Carson sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Do you have an extra shirt?"

Bowers went to his closet and pulled a military green t-shirt from the pile and threw it to Carson. He threw it over his head.

"Ok. I repeat, what now?" Doc asked again persistently.

Brianna and Carson looked at one another. Then they looked at the Doctor.

"I don't know, exactly. We have Cornelius, Tucker, and my Clone in the upper civilian decks right now, handing out fruit and other proof of a habitable Earth. Maybe they'll convince enough people that Command decides to come clean."

Doc looked at him like he was insane. His eyes grew wide with fear.

"Carson... there aren't... " He paused, as if looking for the words to say. It reminded him of Maia.

"Carson... if what you're telling me is true and there is a habitable planet Earth just waiting to be claimed... then you need to call your men back immediately. HUD doesn't care about it's civilians. Hell, they might even firebomb this whole sector and blame it on a fluke meteor if it meant keeping a secret like that. Think about it... they want Earth for themselves, they've killed and will kill again to keep that claim."

Doc hurried back into his study, grabbing different things off the shelves.

Maia's voice suddenly chimed in across Carson's Comm's.

"I'm watching... lots of armed guards... leave their chambers. They are all taking the elevators up... in your quadrant"

Fuck.

Carson Commed his men.

"Tucker! Corn! Abel! Do you read!" A few moments passed by.

Tucker was the only one who picked up.

"I read you Chief, how can I be of service?" Carson could hear the sound of women's laughter in the background.

"Retreat immediately, I repeat, retreat immediately. We have hostiles inbound up the elevators. Maybe try the mining shafts. You have your repel gear still, right?"

"Yeah roger that. Fuck. Sorry ladies, I gotta grab my friends." Tucker said apologetically to someone before cutting the Comm's.

Carson and Brianna turned to go.

"Hold on a heartbeat." Doc said from behind them. They turned around and saw him finish zipping up an old exo-suit. Then he pulled the gloves on, sealed the wrist cuffs, and threw a box of old fashioned projectile bullets in his bag.

"You need backup." Was all he said. Was he serious? Was he really going to turn traitor with them?

"Are you sure? There's no going back after this."

"There's nothing to go back to."

Carson turned to go then paused.

"Comm me the access codes to your lab on Titan. Now."