This is just a narrative I came up with about what happens after the events in ZoE2. I have ideas of where the story could go, however, I'd like to see some feedback about what I've written so far:

The Promise

They stood there on the surface of Callisto. They only wore their bulky pilot suits, no helmets, despite temperatures of minus 172 degrees Celsius and a sparce atmosphere of carbon dioxide. Dingo knew this in the back of his head yet he felt perfectly fine. He knew that the men standing before him, the men of 03 Squadron, were long dead, BAHRAM’s sacrificial lambs ambushed in the Asgard Basin of this very moon. Yet he talked and jested with all and each of them just as they did back in the day.

“I’m sorry,” said Dingo finally. His company hushed. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth back in that fox hole, that Nohman set us up as bait for the Space Forces. That help wasn’t coming. I’m sorry I didn’t get you guys out of there.”

“You make it sound like you could, captain Egret,” said Bill in his typical Hellespont accent. “Captain Egret always thinking he could single handedly liberate Mars.”

“I don’t mind dying for the cause,” said Adrock. “It was bound to happen one way or another, just wish we knew what we were getting into.”

“Besides,” said Richard. Dingo had always felt awkward about out ranking that man who was twice his age. “It’s not like you survived by looking out after your own hide. My LEV was the one that hid your signal from the enemy.”

The first time a Marinaris saved my life, Dingo grinned.

“Don’t go on feeling sorry for yourself anymore, captain. You still got a mission. We joined BAHRAM for a reason, remember?”

Dingo chuckled, “Oh right.”

“One more thing,” said Richard.


He heard a rhythmic beeping and opened his eyes. The light slightly blinded him but soon he made out shapes of the waking world. One of those was an eighteen year old woman with long orange hair. She was dressed in khakis and a sleeveless top that tightly fit around her impressive bosom. Dingo shifted in his bed and felt the something tugging over his chest. He was in a hospital gown; wires crept underneath his sleeves ending in suction cups monitoring his vitals. One monitor traced a sign in that same steady rhythm, his heartbeat.

Dingo looked over at Ken again. She was sleeping in a chair by the foot of his bed. There was a black T-shirt and some slacks hanging from a bar next to her. To the right was a window made from the high strength polymer used by spaceships, in the dead of space was Mars like a scarred yet precious garnet. How long ago had it been since Dingo seen his home like that? He had a pretty nice view on Phobos but the last time he took it all in was about nine years ago on a shuttle to Deimos. He was heading to Squadron 03 station on Antillia, fresh out of training. Seeing Mars from way out there, how small and fragile it looked, Dingo had felt a wave of pride. He wanted to protect that world, that monument to the hard work and blood they put in making it their home. Gazing upon it now, Dingo felt that same mix of pride and protectiveness stir. He thought that part of him died with 03. The beeping on his heart monitor sped up slightly.

Ken stirred in her chair, slowly waking up and murmuring about a stiff back. Suddenly Dingo’s attention shifted to the chest she thrust out as she stretched then to her eyes as they blinked open. She caught sight of him and her jaw slightly dropped. She gasped his name and rushed out of her seat. Ken almost tripped as she made her way to his side. Dingo wondered how long she slept in that chair.
“How do you feel?” She asked. She took his wrist into her hands, checking for a pulse, though Dingo wondered why she didn’t just check the monitor by his bed.

“Alright I guess?” What am I supposed to say to that? “Well, I am having a little trouble breathing. It’s like I can’t inhale as much as I usually do.”

“Dr. Owen said that would be the case,” Ken sighed, as if she was trying to comfort herself.

She pressed her fingers to his neck, trying to be careful and delicate as she did. This wasn’t same Ken that socked him in the face two months ago. Then memories of his dream flashed through his mind.

“Uh…you dad says hi.” That got her attention. Ken gave him a weird look. “He wanted me to tell you that when I woke up. Speaking of which, how long was I out.”

“About three days. They said exhaustion from two days of Frame running and surgery would keep you out for a week at best.”

“Better than two months. How did they get a spare heart and lungs in under three days?”

“We grew new ones.” The voice came from another woman, when she came in Dingo didn’t know. Dressed in white lab coat, she looked like a mix of Japanese and European descent. “Dr. Mariko Owen, Chief Medical Officer aboard the Civilian Transport Atlantis.”

Dingo slowly replied his name. She was an Earthling, he could tell just by the way she moved. “So what’s this story about growing me new vitals Doc?”

“We created new organs based using your cells using flash clone techniques.”

Flash cloning? “I didn’t think that kind of medicine was found outside the Earth Block.”

“The cost of the procedure has yet to be refined for mainstream use. However, the Atlantis was equipped with the finest in both combat and medical technology. The flash clone chamber was included to ensure top healthcare provision for the crew without creating suspicious medical requests in the Jupiter and Mars Blocks. Now while the organs are in fact your own, they are still relatively young. You will need to undergo of a regimen of physical therapy while avoiding activities that are too strenuous. You may find it rather hard to get out of bed in the morni-…”

Mariko halted mid speech as Dingo rose to his feet, pulling off the various wires of his monitor and even the IV in his left arm. He strode to clothes by Ken’s chair and pulled off his gown, taking a look at the scar on his chest. Mariko turned away while a red faced Ken shouted a nagging question about just what he was doing. Dingo ignored them both as he donned the shirt and slacks and started out the door.

He knew neither what section of the ship he was in nor which direction the hallway he entered would take him to the bridge. Dingo did not think about that. He just marched ahead with one thought in mind: he had a mission to finish.

“Dingo!”

Ken said it in that irritatingly familiar tone as she rushed about to face him. Her orange hair drifted up in the low G air, almost looking like a flame. There was fire in the look she gave him. It was the same look she had two months ago, their first meeting in person.

“You know where the bridge is? I have to talk the captain, Elena. I think that’s her name.”

“Didn’t you listen to anything the doctor said?”

“Yeah, I got a procedure that no average Martian can ever hope to afford. Now tell me where I-…” A wave of heat and fatigue washed over Dingo and he fell forward. Ken shouted his name again, this time in a worried tone, as she threw her arms to catch him. If the gravity had been higher, they both might have toppled to the ground.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong? I’ve got you, you idiot…Doctor Owen!” Ken pressed her forehead to his.

“My chest hurts…”

“It’ll be alright – Doctor!”

Mariko emerged from Dingo’s room and hurriedly checked his vital signs, Ken held him up by his left side and never letting go. The medical officer produced and instrument from her lab coat and pressed it against Dingo’s chest. She checked the readings and sighed.

“It’s just a heart murmur and angina. You’re working with two day old cardiovascular organs, Mr. Egret. You can’t be active to the degree you’re used to right away.”

“I didn’t realize what I’ve done all my life was just hop out of bed.” Dingo muttered.

“With what is essentially a new born heart and stressful thoughts on your mind? I’m surprised you didn’t collapse in your room.”

“Well just get me some painkillers and point me to the bridge.”

“You’re still on about that?!?” Ken’s jaw hung for moment. “I didn’t think-…no. On second thought, I’m not surprised. You are that stupid.”

“I’ve told Sub Commander Weinberg that you woke up,” said Mariko. “She said that she’ll be waiting for you in the briefing room if you wish to speak to her. Though my professional opinion is that you should wait for her…let me just call up a med chair.”

With that, Mariko walked toward the nearest com station. Dingo and Ken loitered in the hall of the ship, as Dingo refused to return to his room. They leaned against a wall with only the hum of the ship’s engines to hear. Dingo tried to focus on that hum, to keep from thinking too much about what he had to do and spare his newborn heart some extra beating.

“Why do you have to be so stupid?” Ken broke the silence.

“Missing that leash of yours already?”

“No! It’s just that…” she bit her lower lip. “Never mind.”
She turned her head away and Dingo caught some sent from her hair. It was a slightly sweet yet slightly citrusy smell. For some reason, his heart began beating faster again and Dingo tried focusing on the humming once more. Great, she’s found a way to irritate me without even talking, now!


“That’s my entire report.”

“Very good. I’m sorry that neither Alan nor Rock could see this day, but I suppose that comes with the territory of suicide missions.”

“The crew of the Atlantis performed exceedingly well, above all that was expected of them.”

“I’m sure they did. All of you can expect cozy lives waiting for you back on Earth. I’m afraid I’m going to have to order you to stay by Mars for a little longer though until we can deploy a relief force.”

“We are prepared to do what we must. However, might I ask about fulfilling the final request in my report sir?”

“Hmm?”

“The promise I made to the runner.”

“What promise?”

“Free Mars.”

“But Mars has already been freed. We freed it from the tyranny of BAHRAM.”

“Sir, you know as well as I do that he meant granting the planet autonomy.”

“Haven’t you seen what an independent Mars looked like? I think we can both agree that no one wants that.”

“With all due respect, sir, Mars was under the administration of a dictator.

“Try explaining that to the Security Council.”

“Sir, the emergency provision in the Atlantis Charter authorized me to negotiate on behalf of the Security Council…”

“In the event that Aumaan became fully functional and the Jehuty plan failed. The brass already decided that the provision was not in effect during your conversation with the runner.”

“That conversation was being monitored by everyone on or orbiting Mars. It won’t be long until the public gets a hold of the video. There will be groups across the world demanding that we fulfill our side of the bargain. I believe that all the people of Mars want is their own state.”

“I’m beginning to think that all those years in Ender territory have caused you to go native.”

“I’m…only concerned about how this promise will affect relations between Mars and Earth.”

“A promise you were forced to make by a former terrorist in return for defusing a really big bomb. Savior of the Solar System or the one who took it hostage, we can spin the tale either way depending on whether or not he’s willing to play ball.”

“So you want to make him a figure head.”

“Do you think he will cooperate with us?”

“No, from what I’ve seen, I can tell he is very obstinate and headstrong.”

“Well, I guess it was a pipedream to expect much from ex-BAHRAM. No matter though, as long you keep him confined from the Frame until the Relief Fleet arrives. We can worry about PR when we need to cross that bridge. Perhaps we could employ that Ender you trained with the V2.”

“Sir …”

“Dammit Elena, we have been on the losing end of an arms race here! Ever since the Deimos Incident, we had to play catch up with those Martians and their toys. We’ve only just got to the point where two of their things could possibly beat us now. One of them just blew up and the other is in the hanger of your ship. Once we get that to Earth maybe we could focus on actually stabilizing the End Zone.”

“General….”

“You know, there were a lot of higher ranks that questioned your loyalty to Earth after that show. I’ve had to stick my neck out and convince them that you are still up to snuff. I know how much both Rock and Alan meant to you. But I need to you to remain strong for just a little longer. I need you to hold the line until our fleet arrives. Can you do that Weinberg?”

“Sir…yes, yes sir. I will follow your orders. When can I expect the Relief Fleet to arrive?”

“We already have the fleet assembled. You can expect their arrival at June.”

“June…I see.”

“I trust you understand the strategic importance of that date.”

“Yes, I will maintain our forces until then.”

“I know I’m asking you to hold a mountain with just a spear and a shield. As long as you can keep Deimos, there should be no problem.”

~ Video Log 15126712 – Earth-Atlantis Ansible Transmission, 2174.04.__

That's very good Do you will continue it?