The End of All Things: The Third Instalment Read Free Page A

and two, do we care?” Powell asked.
    “We should care,” Lambert said. “We should care because if we didn’t, then one day we’ll be back here dealing with this problem again.”
    “I don’t know about that,” Salcido said. “We stomped on that vote pretty hard.”
    “And we did it with a single fireteam,” Powell said, and then pointed at me. “Plus the fact that the Colonial Union sent a mere lieutenant to deal with a vote of global consequence probably said something. No offense, Lieutenant.”
    “None taken,” I said.
    “The whole point of the mission was to shake their confidence and make them consider their action,” Powell continued. “The Colonial Union was saying ‘Look what we can do with four common soldiers, so think about what we could do with more—and think about what we’re protecting you from.’”
    “But it doesn’t address root causes,” Lambert said, again. “Look, the global legislature of an entire planet doesn’t wake up one morning and decide to vote for independence just for the fun of it. There was a lot going on before that point. Things we don’t know about because while it was all brewing, we were off doing other things.”
    “Right,” Powell said. “And when the aftermath of this comes down, we’ll also be off again, doing other things, so why are you worked up about it?”
    “I’m not worked up about it,” Lambert said. “I’m just asking if our so-called ‘successful’ mission actually helped.”
    “It helped the Franklins,” Salcido said. “The ones who didn’t want independence, anyway.”
    “Also the ones who didn’t want to get shot for treason,” Powell interjected.
    “Them too,” Salcido agreed.
    “Right, but I’m not convinced it helped the Colonial Union,” Lambert said. “The reasons the Franklins wanted independence, whatever they are, are still there. They haven’t been addressed.”
    “Not our job,” Powell said.
    “No, it’s not. I just wish whosever job it was had done it before we got there.”
    “If they had then we wouldn’t have been there,” Powell said. “We would have been somewhere else and you would be trying to find deeper meaning about that. ”
    “So you’re saying the real problem is me,” Lambert said.
    “I’m not saying the real problem isn’t you,” Powell said. "Me, I’m just glad to get through the thing alive. Call me uncomplicated."
    “Uncomplicated.”
    “Thank you. And you, Terrence, should stop overthinking the mission. Do it, get it done, go home. You’ll be happier.”
    “I don’t know about that,” Lambert said.
    “Fine, then I’ll be happier, because I won’t have to listen to you go on.”
    “You’ll miss it when I’m gone.”
    “Maybe,” Powell said. “I’m willing to find out.”
    “Found it!” Salcido said.
    “Found what?” Lambert asked.
    “That song. The song you said didn’t exist.”
    “The pizza moon song?” Powell asked.
    “Bullshit,” Lambert said.
    “Not bullshit!” Salcido exclaimed, triumphantly. “I’m putting it through the shuttle speakers now.”
    The cabin of the shuttle was filled a song about moons, pizza, drool, and pasta.
    “This is a terrible song,” Powell said, after a minute.
    “It makes me hungry,” Lambert said.
    Salcido smiled. “The good news is, we’ll be back in time for lunch.”

PART TWO
    Wednesday—not one immediately following the events of Franklin—and we were hunting a sniper.
    “Just drop the building on him,” Powell suggested, from behind our cover. She pointed to the apartment complex the rebel sniper had been using to take aim at the Kyoto security forces and the CDF that had been deployed to assist them. We were in Fushimi, the planet’s third-largest city and the center of recent unrest.
    “We can’t,” I said.
    “Sure we can,” Powell said. She pointed upward. “The Tubingen could level that entire building in six seconds. Pancake it into rubble. Sniper’s dead, we’re back on the ship in