The End of the Beginning

Hammond watched through the glass window of the operating rooms adjacent observation area. She was alone. Doctors surrounded Colonel Morrison. She watched the electronic monitor that was displaying John’s heart rate. The room was soaked in gentle blue light. Through large screens above the room’s windows she could see the live feed from a miniature camera mounted on the end of a robotic arm that was maneuvering it’s way around John’s heart with unshakable grace. It was nearing the remains of the bullet.

A commotion at the observation room’s door made her walk over to it. She opened it to find William outside. The ISAF guardsmen who had been assigned to watch over Hammond were not letting William enter.

“Stand down Guardsmen,” she ordered. “It is okay. Let him in. He deserves to see.”

The two guardsmen stepped aside. Hammond held the door open for William, letting him go in first. William hobbled over to the window, putting his right hand on the glass.

“I didn’t expect you to be up and about so quickly, Captain,” said Hammond, walking past William to where she had originally been standing, “especially after what you did yesterday. Your fortunate your not in their with John.” “Is he going to be alright, ma’am?” William asked with an uncaring tone for anything else.

“They think so. This operation should remove the last of the bullet. It lodged itself several centimeters right of his aortic arch. He is very lucky.”

“Is he?” said William cynically.

“Yes,” said Hammond. “We all are, thanks to you, Captain.”

After a long awkward pause Hammond sighed. She looked down at the floor. She held her hands behind her back.

“Listen, Captain,” she said, “I… I know our relationship has been… difficult, since you came here. There has certainly been tension; this is no secret. But, I hope, moving forward from today we can begin to remedy that tension and work together. We live in times that cannot afford tension amongst allies.” “Is that what we are now ma’am, allies?” grimaced William. “You know far more than you pretend. Hernandez certainly believed so. He made that pretty clear in the cab of that truck yesterday.” “You’re going to trust the word of the man who nearly killed your best friend?” Hammond asked.

William shook his head. “I don’t know who to trust anymore ma’am, least of all you. Whatever it is your hiding, it won’t stay hidden for much longer. The entire worlds attention has now turned to UNIRO, this base, and you. Questions will be asked and answers will be wanted. Are you prepared to give those answers?” “The world cannot know the truth. If it does, then we will lose.”

“What will we lose?”

“UNIRO, Captain. We’ll lose UNIRO. I, will lose UNIRO,” Hammond whispered angrily. “I will die first before this organization is taken from me. It has come to far to fall. It is all that is left to redeem this world, to redeem me. I think you of all people can understand that, Captain.” “My God… Hernandez was right…”

Hammond looked at William with an ominous glare. “Sometimes to fight darkness,” she said, “you must search from with it. Despite whatever Hernandez told you, and whatever you think of me, you must know we are on the same side. Whatever I do is for the good of this organization. That is what I fight for. That is all that matters. UNIRO, as the world knows it, must not fall.” “What you did, what you hide, could still cost John his life,” said William. “If we can’t win with transparency then we are no better than Terra Nova.”

“They don’t care how they win, so neither should we. For all the nonsense they preach Terra Nova is right about one thing, current government is complacent. Those that ultimately control this place sit on their asses, debating endlessly while the world rips itself apart. We don’t have any more time to waste. It is time we fight Terra Nova with its own rules.” “Terra Nova is on the run after yesterday. We stopped them in the light, not the shadows, for the entire world to see.”

Hammond chuckled. “You think what happened yesterday will stop them? They will be back soon. They will not rest till the old world they hate is razed to the ground as a pile of ashes. That is why we must do everything we can, now.” “But at what cost, ma’am? I used to think like you, complete the mission at all cost. I let good men die with that reasoning of recklessness. They were sacrificed in vain because of my selfish desire to amend for my past, my failures. How many are you willing to sacrifice in vain, ma’am?” Hammond slowly looked up at William. Half her face was in shadow, the other half tinted blue. Crossing her arms, she began to slowly walk towards the door.

“To win this fight,” she whispered, “as many as it takes.”

The time to rise and stand for our future is now. There are those who wish to silence our progress, ignore our issues, and think only for themselves. But our challenges cannot wait, and we face a great many of them, none of which are impossible to tackle. With science, facts, unity, and hope the human race can save itself. I have no doubt. The future awaits our present. What will you choose to do?