Beyond the Horizon: New Dawn

5) Anthony

Anthony sat quietly in a holding cell aboard the Genesis Space Station. He was separated from the rest of the crew as soon as they entered the station. The Martians took Captain Boyd first for questioning. Two hours had passed since then and Anthony had started to grow restless. He wondered when his turn would be. The wait alone was agonizing.

The final words of Doctor Braddock were still fresh in his mind. He had never heard of anyone named Beta before but she had to be important if finding her was Doctor Braddock's last words. Braddock also mentioned that they would not stop but did not get a chance to specify who they were. He could have been referring to the attackers that got him killed though there was no way to prove it.

Anthony stood up off the floor and started to pace around his small square cell. The cell door was made out of a thick sheet of one-way glass. Anthony heard the doors to the cells slide open and he readied himself for the guards. The cell door opened and in front of him was Admiral Rogers and two Martian legionnaires.

Admiral Rogers was a tall wiry older man with graying hair and a clean shaven face. He had a long nose and small brown eyes. His eyebrows were thin and his hands were very large. He wore a grey military suit that had linings of orange and red around the shoulders, collar, and arm sleeves.

"Come with me," he ordered. Anthony nodded and followed him out the room. Admiral Rogers led him through the halls of Genesis Station. There were dozens of Martian civilians that eyed Anthony cautiously as he walked past them. He noticed that military officials and scientists were few and far between on the station.

Admiral Rogers ordered his men to wait outside after they reached their destination. The guards nodded and took post by the entrance. Admiral Rogers input a security code and the door slid open. He stepped into the room with Anthony following behind.

The room had large windows behind Admiral Rogers' desk that overlooked the Red Planet. The walls were littered with various photographs and paintings of Admiral Rogers and his family. In front of the Admiral's desk were two leather chairs. The desk itself was made out of metal and had a bottle of whisky and a small digital projector on it. Anthony was skeptical about the current. It was far from what he had mentally prepared himself for in the holding cell. He was expecting a dark room and brutal questioning, not an office.

Admiral Rogers sat down in his chair and gestured towards the two leather seats in front of him. "Have a seat," he said. Anthony straightened his stance as he shook his head. "I'll stand," he responded. Admiral Rogers smiled. "Funny," he began. "Your captain said the same thing." His smile faded and he looked at Anthony sternly. "You are Sergeant Anthony Porter, yes?"

Anthony nodded. "I am."

"I wonder, what brings you to the UNSF?"

"Pay's better. What made you become a legionnaire?"

Admiral Porter leaned forward. "Loyalty to Mars."

Anthony forced a smile. "Right. Nothing better than a nationalist."

"That's funny coming from a Tellurian. History tells us that was what your wars were built on. Fighting to protect your egos rather than need."

"You'll tell yourself anything to believe you're better than us, huh?"

"Hmph. You're from North America, yes? Enlisted in the USSF at the age of 20, then after 11 years transferred to the UNSF?"

"That's right. You've done your research in preparation for this interrogation."

Admiral Rogers shook his head. "I just need to understand your background. This is no interrogation. Interrogations are for prisoners. You aren't one."