“Wales, this is General Biggs. He wishes to speak to you.”
“Alone, Lucius,” General Biggs said as John saluted.
“Sir, are you sure?” Captain Pyle said doubtfully. “Wales can be… insubordinate.”
It probably didn’t help that the general was at least a foot shorter than John. A short, sturdy man with close-cropped iron-grey hair and a red face, he carried himself with the assurance of a man who knew how to handle himself.
The general waved a hand. “He wouldn’t be the first. I assure you I have never been bothered by plain speaking. You may go, Captain,” he added firmly.
“Yes, sir.” Captain Pyle snapped off a salute and departed.
The general took a seat behind the captain’s desk, and John remained standing at attention as the general surveyed him. If the other man expected his scrutiny to disturb John, he would be in for a disappointment. He gazed over the general’s head, studying the books on the shelf behind the captain’s desk. Paper books were a rarity, but the captain came from a wealthy background and owned an impressive collection of military history and tactics. However, even from here John could see the thin layer of dust covering the tomes and knew the captain had probably never looked at any of them. Considering the disaster he’d made of their last campaign, it might have been better for all of them if he had.
General Biggs laughed, drawing John’s attention back to him.
“You’re a cool customer, aren’t you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Most of your fellow soldiers would be shaking in their boots wondering why a general wanted to see them.”
John allowed himself a fractional shrug. “I assume that you will tell me why I am here when you are ready. Sir.”
The general laughed again, then his face hardened. Even John recognized the force of his authority when he spoke.
“At the battle of Morgan Hill, you disobeyed orders and refused to fire on the rebels. Why?”
No one else has bothered to ask. John suspected he had come very close to hanging. He had actually been surprised when he was released after only a month in the stockade.
“They weren’t rebels. They were hungry people with no weapons,” he said honestly.
To his shock, the general did not immediately attempt to dispute his statement. Instead, he frowned thoughtfully. “And the incident at the factory farm?”
“They were just kids. Sir.”
“One of those kids managed to give the captain a concussion.”
“Perhaps the captain should have ducked.”
“Perhaps.” A flicker of something that could have been amusement crossed the general’s face. “You have a long history of disregarding orders, Wales.”
“Yes, sir.” There was no point in disagreeing. Was this the reckoning that he had always known would come? He had been kicked out of every place he had ever landed from the original family he barely remembered to his last unsuccessful attempt at civilian life. He had never expected to be allowed to remain in the military either.
He briefly considered the possibility of bolting before the general announced his fate. Although he suspected the general would not be the easy target his size suggested, John had no doubt that he could overpower him. The officer’s quarters were close to the edge of the compound, and the element of surprise was on his side. Luck had always been in short supply for him, but with just a little bit of it, he could probably escape. But what then? He had nowhere to go, nothing to which to escape. The military had never been his home, but it was the closest thing he had. Might as well stay and face the music.
“I take it you have considered your options?” General Biggs asked dryly. “And decided to remain?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good.” The general raised the hand that had been on his lap and placed a gun on the desk. “I didn’t want to shoot you, although in some ways it might have been easier.”
“Sir?” Although John kept his face blank, the gun had surprised him, and he wasn’t easily surprised.
“Sit down, Wales. I’m getting a crick in my neck from looking up at you.”
This time, he was sure that his surprise showed, but he moved to one of the chairs in front of the desk and sat, although he did not relax.
“You are aware that Earth Government has sent cyborgs to terraform Mars?”
It was the last topic he had expected, but he nodded.
“And you are aware that the cyborgs are former soldiers? Injured too greatly to live?”
The general’s comment about shooting him took on a new significance, and he tensed, checking the distance to the desk. He was almost positive he could reach the weapon before the general could fire.
“That’s not a threat, Wales.” The general shook his head when John did not relax. “Do you trust anyone?”
“No, sir.” He had learned that lesson the day his mother left him at the orphanage.
“I suppose I don’t blame you.” The general drummed his fingers on the desk. “There are several reasons why I’m telling you about the cyborg program. First, a number of the transformations from soldier to cyborg were not handled well. Despite that, the soldiers—the former soldiers—have adapted and overcome. Especially now that there are human colonists on Mars, they have begun integrating into that society.”
There was an expectant pause, and John nodded, keeping his face blank.
The general sighed. “I suppose I am not reassuring you about my intentions.” He drummed on the desk again. “I assume you have also heard of GenCon?”
The random question surprised him enough that he answered. “Yes, sir. A powerful corporation with close ties to Earth Government.”
“Too close, I’m afraid. Although Earth Government has refused to share the secrets behind the cyborg technology, they have revealed enough that GenCon is experimenting with that knowledge. However, the majority of their experiments are taking place on Mars, and we have little to no oversight into the results.”
“Why are you
