Dark Foundations by Chris Walley Page A

gear?”
    A look passed between Vero and Lloyd.
    â€œThe usual stuff, sir,” Lloyd said, looking away.
    â€œT-the Commander doesn’t really want—,” Vero began.
    â€œOh, I do. I really do. What’s in there?” Merral nodded to the brown bag.
    Vero shrugged. “Better open it, Sergeant.”
    As soon as Lloyd opened the bag, Merral peered in, seeing a diagnostic medical unit. He pushed the DMU aside and found a familiar object with a dull gray tube and a long grip.
    â€œA cutter gun,” Merral said. He looked deeper. “And a bush knife. And some other things . . . explosives.” He paused. “Excuse me, Sergeant. Could you leave us alone for a few minutes?”
    â€œYes, sir,” Lloyd said and left the room.
    â€œOkay, Vero. Explain. An aide—with weaponry?”
    Vero cast the unhappiest of expressions at the bag. “W-well, it’s like this. I didn’t want to alarm you. B-but we have no idea whether we killed all the inhabitants of that ship. We have no inventory, no passenger list to check them off. We don’t know whether, somewhere out there, there are still cockroach-beasts, another Krallen pack, or another winged dragon thing.”
    â€œI see. I had, well, assumed, that we had got them all.” Merral sighed. “No, you’re right. But surely Ynysmant is safe? There are places farther north. Herrandown, Wilamall’s Farm, other settlements.”
    Vero shook his head wearily. “No longer. Last week the decision was made to close down Herrandown immediately. The inhabitants—your uncle and his family included—are now in Ynysmant. And Wilamall’s Farm is being wound down. And the others.”
    â€œI didn’t know that.” Merral found himself oddly shaken by the news. Yet another pillar of his old familiar world had been brought down.
    â€œThe images of the dragon thing scared everyone. Clemant and Corradon decided to close down the settlements almost as soon as the battle was over. After all, with the ship destroyed, any surviving creatures have nowhere to go. And yes, there are teams out there scouring the countryside. So far they have found nothing. There is a ten-man rapid-response team armed and sitting in a hangar out there.” He gestured out of a small window. “They’re waiting to go at five minutes’ notice. But there is a risk. Anyway, the sad reality is that Wilamall’s Farm and Herrandown are just a burden to Farholme now.”
    â€œNo!” Merral said, defiance ringing in his voice. “They are a vital part of making this a habitable world—like all the Forestry projects, the land reclamation, the stabilization of the coasts. It is a continuation of the more than ten thousand years of work here since the Seeding.”
    â€œMy friend, it’s all been put on hold for a generation. You need to understand. The battle—and the news that there may be further ships on the way—has changed everything. Everything . It’s a whole new ball game. All the resources of this planet that can be spared are being redirected to defense. Expansion is over. When the Gate went, we went into maintenance mode. After Fallambet, we shifted into defense mode.”
    â€œI see,” Merral said, feeling angry but not knowing whom, or what, he was angry with. He stabbed a finger toward the bag. “But I don’t need one of these men. He’s not just an aide. What is he in reality?”
    â€œA bodyguard.”
    â€œI don’t need a bodyguard in my hometown. I’ll go alone.”
    Vero grimaced. “I’m not sure it’s wise.”
    â€œI’ll risk it. It’s my life.”
    A look of hard resolution suddenly crossed Vero’s face. “I-is it?” He clenched his fists. “I’m sorry to argue with you again, but I’m not sure it is. You now have a public duty. This is a shaken world. I’ve been out there. I