The President brushed his comment aside and continued.
"Do you not think this country has suffered enough in recent years? Do you not think we deserve peace?"
"Peace? I am fighting because we do deserve peace, and it must be fought for just as the founding fathers of our nation knew it."
"This is not the way, Colonel. If you..."
Taylor reached for the transmission button and cut him off. The door beside him burst open, and Dupont flew through it.
"You just hung up on your President!"
"He is no President of mine," snarled Taylor. "When a man with the balls for the job takes over, I'll talk again."
"What have you done?"
"Didn't you hear it? That asshole can't be talked into war. He's just doing everything he can to get me back there. Is that what you would have? Would you have me sent home where I would almost certainly be stripped of my rank and imprisoned?"
Dupont shook his head.
"No, I would not wish it, and you know I would take back all that I ever did to you if I could."
"This isn't about us, General. You stand beside me, and for that you are my friend."
It brought a surprised and puzzled expression to Dupont's face.
"So what now?" asked Taylor.
"I know the mission failed, but I need to know why. We need to understand this war. I need you debriefed immediately before you take your leave."
Taylor sighed. It was going to be a long day. When he finally stepped out into the open air once again, he found the sun was almost down. He felt utterly exhausted having sat for so many hours outlining all he had seen and experienced to Dupont and other EA officers. He turned and was pleasantly surprised to find Parker sitting on a wall waiting for him. Her head was down in her hands, and she looked utterly bored.
"Evening," he said softly.
Her head shot up at the sound of his voice, and she rushed into his arms.
"You know, back home they frown on this kind of behaviour, Sergeant," he said with a straight face.
"Well, we set the rules now."
It wasn't far from the truth, but he also recognised it was a potentially dangerous position to be in.
"So, did you convince the UEN to halt the war?" she asked.
Taylor sniggered. "No, it was a complete cluster fuck."
"I figured as much."
"Your vote of confidence is overwhelming."
"So what's next?"
"No idea. Just wait on new orders, I guess."
"There’s no way we can end this war with the info we now have?"
He shook his head.
"With Krys agents having infiltrated the UEN at every level, there is no chance."
"And they only infiltrated the UEN, what about our side?"
He shook his head. It didn't bare thinking about, but the clone of Jones was a nasty shock and reminder of what they could be facing.
* * *
Taylor awoke and shot up as a brainwave had struck him during the night. Eli groaned beside him and was clearly not impressed with having been awoken so abruptly, but he was too single-mindedly focused to notice or care. He jumped out of bed and pulled on his clothes while she still grumbled.
"Come on back to bed. We don't have to be up for hours."
"No, the war won't wait for us," he replied.
"What?" she muttered as she turned over and went back to sleep.
He looked at his watch. It was almost 0900 hours, and they had slept way past what a marine should.
"Goddamn it."
He rushed to the door, stopping as he remembered the last time he went out without a weapon and quickly rushed back, grabbed his sidearm, and strapped it about his waist.
"Got it, I got it you son of a bitch," he muttered to himself as he strode for Dupont's office that was located in the bastion they called a research facility. As he approached, he noticed it was named only 13E.
A subtle name to conceal a mammoth structure, he thought.
He rushed into Dupont's office and found him meeting with two Generals from other EA nations.
"I need to put out a broadcast," he demanded.
Dupont stood up, shocked by his abrupt entrance.
"You will have to excuse Colonel Taylor. Combat fatigue has made him forget his manners," he said; the other two laughed.
"If the UEN won't listen to the evidence we put before them, and the US President won't see sense, let me broadcast it to the World. People trust me. God knows why, but they do. Let me take the evidence we have to every news agency in every country which still remains neutral, and let the people decide for themselves."
Dupont sat back down silently and mulled over the idea. One of the other Generals finally answered.
"Why not? It could work."
He spoke in a strong Spanish accent. Dupont shook his head and replied.
"It's a dangerous proposition. We are looking for allies, and such a thing could turn people against their governments who would blame us for inciting any trouble which ensues."
"And?" asked Taylor. "Are we not past the point of politics and simply trying to win by any means?"
"There are always politics, Colonel. Believe me, I wish there weren't. Many times have I wished I could be in your shoes and not have to play the politics game."
"Let me do it. Not with any support, given or intended by you or any member state of the EA. Let me do it as a United States Marine, as a free man. If we can get this evidence out to the people of this world who are beyond the control and indoctrination of Krys agents, we could completely turn this around."
"And if it doesn't? What if it backfires and it sounds like crazy talk? No matter how true the evidence we have, it sounds crazy."
"I can't change the truth. I can only tell it like it is."
Dupont thought about it for a moment and looked at the other two. They both nodded in approval.
"Then do it, and let us pray the audience are as passionate and trusting as you believe."
"Thank you, this is gonna work. It’s gonna work like you could never believe."
"It's hardly the way to do things as far as diplomacy goes, but hell. Whatever we're doing now isn't gaining any more support. See my secretary on the way out. She will set you up with everything you need, including our press officer Captain Bernard."
Taylor was excited but also terrified that so much now depended on him. But this wasn't the pressure he was used to. He didn't have to succeed through combat, but through communication.
What the hell have I got myself into?
Half an hour later, he stood around a table with his own senior officers and the press officer as promised, but none of them yet knew his plan.
"Bernard, I am told you have plenty of contacts in the International press?"
"Yes, Monsieur," he replied.
"Good. I need you to get me on air, live. The US is absolutely essential, so try and get a sensible hour. We've got about seven hours until the Eastern seaboard wakes up and turns on the news. When they do, I want them to see me on screen telling it to them straight."
"And what is it you will be telling them?"
"That isn't your concern, right now."
"Begging your pardon, Colonel, but if I am to negotiate this for you, the stations will want to know why. It's a big ask."
"Then tell them Colonel Taylor of the Immortals has news the World needs to hear. That should be enough."
"That's it?"
"Has to be. We need this to be last minute. If the wrong people get wind of it, they will shut us down. I need you to get us on air quickly."
"If I may make a suggestion, Colonel."
"Sure."
"Is what you are going to say controversial?"