Personal Journal: William Aucaman

08/19/2175

Fighting here on Earth began for real yesterday. Last night I heard that the Hegemony had attacked and invaded Uganda and Nigeria. All machine armies, of course; the Hegemony stopped using soldiers almost a hundred years ago. I didn't really think about it before today, but I'm not impressed by it when I do now. The African Union and the nations under it have close ties to the Grushan, who don't believe in mechanized armies. From what I've read, the Grushan think that using mechanized armies just makes wars less expensive; that means that it ultimately gets prolonged and can increase the damage done to civilian centers. So they regard mechanized armies as dishonorable and cowardly. In any case, the Africans adopted the same practice to win favor with the Federation, so now all the armies on our front are human armies fighting robots. I haven't heard much, but Adrian and I used to geek out together at military drone technology, though I admit he understood the inner workings much better than I ever did. So I know what the soldiers out there are up against. Those Hegemony robots are scary things; you can't hurt them with rifles at all. And Africa isn't really a good place for tank warfare, so they're in a bit of a bind.

Earlier today, Ambassador Dumarith traveled to our bomb shelter and spoke with us in private. He told me that the mystic he had summoned was on his way to Kinshasa, even despite the invasions and artillery bombardment; according to the ambassador, this Rorith had returned to "the old ways of the hunt," which I can only assume means he's traveling by foot through the jungle. I can't imagine that's safe for him, but Dumarith assures me that in such times as these, the old ways may yet be the safest. However, he may be several days out still, depending on where the artillery is falling at any given time.

I hope he shows up soon. Ever since we moved to underground bomb shelters, Olivia's been hovering between life and death. The doctors are doing their best to keep her stable, and it's more or less working, but even I can tell that she's in a bad way. Her skin has been getting paler and paler; it's almost white now, not like European white, but white like paper. Her skin has become almost translucent, too, like a glass that lets in light. We've noticed in addition that her eyes have started shifting about under her eyelids, like with REM sleep, so she seems to be dreaming. I don't know if that's good or bad.

Cynthia has been very strained by the whole affair. I can see she isn't sleeping well from the bags that are forming under her eyes. She hasn't been spending as much time with her sister lately, though I can't tell if it's because she's given up or if she's just trying to distract herself from the worry. I don't know how to even ask such a question. Instead of sitting with her sister all day, though, she's started volunteering to help out with supply runners and medical teams. I joined her shortly after she started doing it. I do think the distraction is helping her to cope with the stress, but she needs rest. I told her so, too, but she says she's been having trouble sleeping, not because of more Zaha-Katchem influence, just from stress.

"I look up at the walls, and I see all this thick concrete, and I just wish I could go home again," she said. "And then I think about home, and everything that we've been through over the past month, and then I just get this panicky feeling and I have trouble breathing." She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I just wish I could have a window or something. I feel so claustrophobic in here."

I do wonder if there's anything I could do to help her through all this.

Letter: From Chinwe Opeyemi, 440 E Ormarith Rd, Jimeso, Ghana: To Eglantine Kayode, 1001 Sherman St, Imladris, Nova: Translated by Ibrahim Wassume

My dearest Eglantine,

Today, we were forced to flee from Ghana. It has been a difficult few days; I have barely had time to write since we have been on the run for so long from the Hegemony. The armies of China and Europe stormed the beaches of Africa four days ago, and their machines have torn through the landscape, leaving all the greenhouses and hydroponics farms that were set up along the border in their wake. We have tried to avoid their wrath as best as we could; Alexandra Troy has helped us as best she could to travel with stealth during day and night hours. She has told us that the Asian man that followed us from the Ambience laboratory could be vital for the war, though she has not told us why. But she has been on edge. We are being hunted, so she says, by elite human commandos. Ambience has invested great resources into retaking this man whom we have sheltered these past few days, and they need only to find him.

I know what you would say to me if you were here; that we must break away and allow Ms. Troy to extract this target and hide ourselves away. Well, perhaps you would counsel me to do so. My heart certainly would. But Ms. Troy tells us that there would be no use; the Hegemony would catch us and torture us, probably install and Interlink into all of us. The cost would be too great. So, we must continue to run and hide.

And yet, I am not ashamed to do this, as I was when Ambience came to our home. Now, I am doing something, I am contributing to the war effort in a tangible way; no more am I subservient to the whims of the Hegemony.

In love,

Chinwe.

[Letter not sent, dated 08/19/2175]

Speech Delivered by Almarith: Grushan Senate Forum Floor: 08/20/2175: Translated by Shomarith

Esteemed members of the Senate, People of the Federation here and abroad,

It is my duty to perform the role of Mathin Rezhmarith of old and report to you whom I serve and say with nobility and truthfulness whether the war can continue. This has been the duty of the Praetor since time immemorial, for when the one sworn to serve his people in their defense has failed so utterly to do so, people must question his ability to serve them. If they found him unable to do so, then it fell to them to take his place, or to surrender, or to flee to the hills. So I appear before you now. I must lay out my mind and the place of the Federal Grushan Star Fleet before you and ask you to decide. If upon hearing me, you choose to seek peace with the Terrans and the scourge of God which they have awakened, then I may not prevent you from doing so. But you must first hear me speak. So it was that the army was checked from destroying an empire to win a battle and a people was shown how to win an impossible war. I must speak before the decision is made.

Hear now my words. I speak no lies; the plight of the Federal Grushan Star Fleet is dire. Were it not for our Novan allies, we would have little chance against the Terran fleet alone in open battle. As for the invincible black ship, for the moment, there is nothing that we can do to stop its advance into the Federation or the destruction of more worlds as it so chooses. Our fleets are scattered in hopes that their doing so will delay their immediate death at the hands of the Zaha-Katchem. Terran missiles could strike our worlds at any day, before even the black ship reaches them. If the Terrans choose to land armies on our colonies, they can do so. We have delayed this event by eliminating Terran warp stations, but if they choose to do it, then they need only wait to have temporary stations built. The black ship does not seem to be limited by gate access; it may be able to generate its own spatial warp waves or achieve interstellar travel on its own warp power. I say to you again; we are in dire straits. It may be your judgment that as Praetor I have failed the Federation, even if it were through no fault of my own, and that to continue the war would be paramount to doom for millions more loyal innocents, and that our only remaining option is surrender. Such a judgment would seem to go along with the harsh truth of war that we face.

And yet it is my job to stand up and convince you, the Senate and the people of Grushar and the Federation, to continue on this war until every planet in the Federation burns and every man, woman, and child is subjugated or killed. I have to tell you how victory can still be achieved in battle. It can't. The black ship destroyed a planet. It destroyed three fully equipped FGSF attack wings and a hundred and twenty ships in them. We cannot kill it, we cannot stop it, we can't even damage it. We have no idea where it is at any time. We cannot win by military strength. I do not think that we cannot win at all, but as things stand as of this moment, victory for the fleet is impossible. My duty as Praetor is to protect the people of the Federation. If I say fight and you heed me, then we will die. There is a time to fight to the death and a time to live to fight another day.

Do I say "give up?" I do not. Do I say "submit?" To Terran totalitarianism, never. I say do not seek victory, for he who does so when it cannot be achieved will find only defeat. I say that it is up to the people to keep the fight going, a soft war rather than a hard one. The time for fleets and armies is over until the black ship may be defeated by force of arms. Until then, it is a war of hearts and minds that must be fought. So, I do say surrender. But I do not say submit. The fleet has failed. The Grushan people have not. Let them occupy our planets if they can, when they can. We have many weeks to prepare, since their troop ships cannot come here until then. In the meanwhile, let the hills become fortresses and the forests become our homes. In the beginning, Grushan hunted for their food. Let them hunt again, but now for freedom itself.

Rezhmarith never apologized for the defeat of his army. I correct his error now. From the depths of my soul, I am sorry for the defeat of the Federal Grushan Star Fleet. I wish only that we had held back in Nova, rather than deciding to crush the Terrans and were thus trapped and destroyed. If my own life would suffice for the return of the men and women who died at Nova or the colony dead in Yveran, I would happily give it. And I promise you, I will not rest until the Federation is free once again from Terran overlordship. I must leave to join the remnants of my fleet. I will not return until Grushar is free once again. It is up to the Senate and the people to keep the Federation alive. May God smile upon our efforts.

08/20/2175 1439 NST: Transmission Sent Grushan Senate: PO Grusheran: 08/20/2175 1440 NST: Transmission Received NSN Enterprise AH01-001

Begin Transmission

Admiral Hadrian. As of this moment, you are in full command of the Novan Stellar Navy and the Federal Grushan Star Fleet. You will have no official recognition from the Senate or from the Novan government. You are pirates, and it is the official demand of the Senate that you hand over your ships and your crews to the Terran Interstellar Authority for inspection. Ports in Rizheran and Tezheran will be open for fleet resupply in anticipation of this demand. Under no circumstances are you to ask for the insight of Grushan fleet admiral Doromarith on RED OCTOBER or Razhar.

End Transmission

Personal Journal: William Aucaman

08/21/2175

I feel like I actually did something good today. A couple of days ago, Cynthia was telling me about how the concrete walls were making her claustrophobic and homesick she was. I wondered if there was anything I could do to help her through this phase of the war. Last night I actually thought of something, and today I actually did it.

I remember before everybody had Interlinks, there was a time when people used augmented reality with external devices, like headsets and mobile screens. Anyway, back in the 2130's there was a brief fad in the tech world that was supposed to be the "next big thing," that was augmented environments. My uncle had one back home. It was like a three-dimensional projector that blew up an image onto the surrounding walls. There was more to it, of course, but I don't really understand the technology. I think they work some holographic magic when they get up on the walls. Point is, it's tough as heck to tell that it's a projected image; if you're not paying close attention, you might think that you're actually in another place. They didn't catch on, though, because they were expensive and, well, the Interlink made them irrelevant.

Well, I found one. Somebody brought it with him into the shelter, and I was able to barter it from him for a brief time. It was hard to do, and it isn't in very good shape, but I was able to feed it instructions. I set it up to project a basic starscape from North America, so the constellations were more or less right. I brought it to her bunk tonight and set it up for her.

Poor Cynthia just sat there looking at it for about a minute. Like I said, it wasn't the in the best shape between fifty years of misuse and a war outside. There were a couple of spots that I could tell the integrity of the projection was messed up in. But I think that the important bit at the top of the ceiling still worked pretty well.

She was pretty speechless for a long minute. Then she turned to me and actually smiled. It was the first time I'd seen her smile in weeks. "Thank you," she said. I have a funny feeling like that smile and that thank you was worth everything in the past two weeks for me.

And there was more good news about an hour ago. Apparently, Rorith reached Kinshasa last night. He'll join us tomorrow.

-----------------------

Hey guys! Thank you for your patience. My schedule has been packed these past few weeks, between school, a new job, working out, another project, and my personal relationships, I had to prioritize and this project was low on my priority budget. As this semester continues, I expect this trend will also continue. I will continue to update, but it will be slow, and many chapters, this one included, will be of necessity a bit below par. I will relegate this cleanup to a later date, when I'm a little less struggling for time. Thank you for your understanding.

Also, a huge thank you to everyone who's reading. This humble project has almost breached 1k reads, a huge milestone for me, but certainly not the last! Your support and affection have made this possible.

Sincerely, the real jonbrain.