Read Wanderer 3: Tainted Universe for Free Online Page B

have to save them.  I know how kind you all are.  Much too kind to let a ship with only young children on be destroyed.”
    She smiled then, a strangely beautiful smile.  The smile of someone finally finding peace.  She smiled even as she stuck the pistol under her chin.  She was still smiling when she pulled the trigger.
    The result was horrific.  Blood and worse flew everywhere.  The woman’s body collapsed.  Most of the children started crying, though one was stunned into silence.  Marsh stared at them, cursing the position he’d been put in.
    He checked the ship’s course, unsurprised to see it would collide with the station.  Not that it made any difference.  Even a near miss would have forced his hand.
    Feeling like his heart would burst from his chest he killed the video feed.  Tears stung his eyes as he spoke, but his voice was steady.
    “ We can’t let them get close, and we can’t take them in.  We would have given them food and supplies.  She left us with no choice.  Destroy the ship.”
    “ Captain, we can’t just kill them.  Let me go to them.  I’ll take the risk.  I’ll take them somewhere safe.”
    Marsh looked at his deputy, Alisha Sanders.  He saw that she was serious.  Even though it would mean never returning.  He couldn’t let her do it.  Greenseed needed her too much.  He needed her help too much.  Looking into her eyes he knew those arguments wouldn’t deter her.  It didn’t matter.  It was too late.
    “I’m sorry,” he said.  “No.  You couldn’t reach them in time.  The ship would be too close.  We can’t risk it.”
    “ We can’t just kill those children!” she shouted.
    “ We have no choice,” he replied, forcing calm into his voice.  “You know that.  Think of all the children we have here.  Think what might happen to every one of them if we let that ship get too close.  There’s no other way.”
    Marsh’s heart went out to Alisha as she wrestled with knowing he was right, while still desperately wanting to save the children.  He couldn’t blame her.  He felt the same way.  If he could find any way to keep them safe he would… but there wasn’t any.
    “Oh god… what have we become?” she whispered at last.
    The whisper cut to the heart of Marsh where the shouting hadn’t.  What had they become?  Killers of children for no reason other than fear.  Marsh saw the same conflict on the faces of the others.  He knew he had to counter it.  Punching several controls he brought up a composite photo showing many of the children of Greenseed.
    “We’ve become what we had to,” he rasped.  “You know the risks we run if we don’t destroy the ship.  Look at these children.  They are safe right now because we do what is necessary.  I won’t let them down.” 
    He punched several more commands in, then spoke again.  This time he let the pain inside show in his voice.
    “But I won’t ask any of you to do something I won’t do myself.”
    He pressed one final button.  The station’s weapons fired.  The approaching ship disintegrated, ripped apart by weaponry designed to kill far larger ships.  At least it was fast , he thought.  They won’t have felt a thing .
    It didn’t help.  He bowed his head, tears threatening to fall.  He knew the faces of those children would haunt his sleep for weeks to come.  He could hear several people weeping, Alisha amongst them.  He didn’t blame them.
    How much longer could they stay strong, he wondered.  How long before people started to crack completely, or to make bad decisions.  A chill settled into his heart as he realised Alisha wouldn’t have made the decision he had.  She would have let the ship through.  Docked with the ship, brought it to a halt and then brought the children onto Greenseed.
    With a sigh he realised he would have to stay in the control room twenty-four hours a day.  Compassion was a noble virtue.  A wonderful virtue.  And it was one they simply