“I’m just glad we’re finally here,” said Kevin, leaning back and watching his sensor screens. “I need to spend some time with Katie and the twins.”
“As soon as the entire fleet gets here and we get everyone organized we’ll begin allowing shuttle traffic between vessels,” replied Jeremy. He wanted to see Kelsey and Jason as well.
-
For the next hour the rest of the fleet exited hyperspace and took up their position around the Avenger. Jeremy’s eyes were glued to the viewscreen as the New Horizon and the other exploration dreadnoughts appeared and took their place within the fleet formation.
“Sensors are still clear,” reported Kevin. The enhanced sensors on the Avenger could reach out nearly thirty light years in all directions. So far the sensor screens were staying absent of any threatening red icons.
“Battlestation arriving!” called out Kevin as a massive object dropped out of hyperspace a few hundred kilometers from the Avenger.
The forty-kilometer station looked gigantic on the viewscreen. It would be their main base while they explored this region of space. Jeremy knew from Originator records no one had ever been out this far. This was all unexplored territory.
Finally, when every vessel was present Jeremy began organizing the fleet. The forty-kilometer battlestation was placed in the center. Around the station, the twenty updated Indomitable Class Battlestations were arranged at a distance of two thousand kilometers. The fleet’s cargo and supply ships were place in orbit between the station and the large defensive satellites. Jeremy then placed his dreadnoughts and battlecruisers around the Indomitable Class Battlestations to act as support units. The eleven exploration ships all moved closer to the battlestation and went into orbit a few hundred kilometers above it.
“All assets are in position,” reported Aaliss.
Jeremy breathed out a sigh of relief. “Excellent! For the next two days all fleet units will stay at this position while we use our science departments to scan the nearby satellite galaxy. We’ll use that time to pick out some choice stars to begin our first explorations.”
“I imagine the New Horizon will be doing most of the scanning with their astrometrics department,” said Kevin.
Jeremy nodded. “They have the most advanced equipment in the fleet. Two days should give them enough time to pick out some exploration targets for us.”
“Clarissa wants to know how long it will be before you and Kevin come over to the New Horizon,” Ariel informed them. “Some children are asking about the two of you.”
Kevin stood up turning his console over to his relief. “I think it’s time we return to our parenting duties.”
“Yeah, I believe you’re right,” replied Jeremy as he turned the ship over to Aaliss. Ariel would be going with them over to the New Horizon. “Keep me informed of any new developments though as far away as we are from everything I don’t expect for there to be any threat.”
“I have command,” replied Aaliss as she took her spot in the command chair. “Now, go check on your children. We have several days before we can launch any exploration missions. Be with your families while you can.”
-
Aaliss watched as Jeremy, Kevin, and Ariel left the Command Center to take a shuttle to the New Horizon. While she had lived a long life as an Originator AI sometimes she wished she were a true living being. As an AI there were some things she could just not experience. The love of a child was one of them.
-
Jeremy, Kevin, Ariel and a few others boarded a shuttle to take them to the New Horizon. Jeremy was sitting next to a large, heavily reinforced window looking out at the fleet. Most of the ships were difficult to see as the only real visible light was from the satellite galaxy and the large spiral galaxy it was orbiting. However, all of the fleet ships were at least partially lit up with their own lights and already there was a beehive of activity between the different units.
“I’m curious to see the inside of the battlestation,” commented Kevin as they passed close by it on their way to the New Horizon.
Jeremy laughed. “You’re going to be amazed. We made some design changes due to this possibly being a long deployment. In the very center of the station is a heavily armored cylinder five kilometers long and three kilometers wide. We built a comfortable city inside. We wanted our crews to have somewhere to go to relax and feel at home. I think what we built will be quite sufficient.”
Jeremy examined the battlestation as the shuttle passed close by it. Numerous hatches, missile tubes, and weapon turrets were visible. It was quite impressive and would make a good base while they were exploring the nearby galaxies.
The shuttle turned and began its approach to the New Horizon. The New Horizon was even larger than the Avenger and was the most powerful ship the Originators had ever built, even more powerful than the Dominator. It was also the only other ship in the fleet equipped with the deadly blue energy spheres. At five thousand two hundred meters the ship nearly covered the star field as the shuttle entered one of the open hatches to the flight bay.
“I thought the Avenger was big,” commented Kevin, staring in awe at the massive ship. “Every time I come aboard this ship it still amazes me.”
“I think Kazak and Commander Zafron are a little jealous,” added Ariel. “The Dominator was once the largest and most powerful warship but that isn’t true anymore.”
Jeremy watched as the shuttle set down on a landing pad. “We wanted something the children would be safe in. The center section of the New Horizon is nearly indestructible. Kelsey and her team did a great job designing this ship.”
“There are twenty-three children on the ship,” continued Ariel. “I think it is good to have more children around. Clarissa reports Kelsey and Katie are waiting for you in the nearby receiving lounge.”
“Then let’s not keep them waiting.”
A few moments later Jeremy and Kevin walked into the receiving lounge where their wives were. Ariel had already headed off to check on the children.
“Jeremy!” exclaimed Kelsey as she stood up and went over to give him a long affectionate kiss and hug. “I didn’t know how long it was going to take you to get away from the Avenger.”
“Kevin,” said Katie with her hands on her hips. “We’re having a family meal together tonight and there will be no hamburgers served!”
“Yes, dear,” Kevin said meekly as he took Katie in his arms and kissed her. What she didn’t know was he had eaten a large hamburger and fries earlier in the day. He would let Katie have her way for now.
“We need to go to the children’s section,” said Kelsey, taking Jeremy by the hand. “Clarissa has them in one of the lounges waiting for us. They’re all three quite excited about seeing their fathers.”
-
It didn’t take long for the four of them to make it to the center of the ship where the children were. The New Horizon had several turbo elevators and moving stair shafts to get one quickly to where a crewmember needed to be. There was a double metal hatch that had to be traversed to reach the central section with two large towering Bears standing guard. Somehow this didn’t surprise Jeremy considering how protective the Bears were of Kelsey.
They entered the secure area and Kelsey led them to a nearby lounge area where the children were playing. As soon as Jeremy stepped inside he heard a loud scream. “Daddy!”
Jason came flying across the room, throwing himself into Jeremy’s waiting arms. Kevin’s two twins were right behind.
“Finally back together,” said Clarissa, pleased with the reunion. Angela’s children were there as well though Angela and Brace were still on duty.
Jeremy stood up holding Jason. “Wow, you’ve really grown since we left the Communications and Transport Hub.
“Of course,” replied Jason, trying to sound like an adult. “After all, it’s been nearly seven weeks.”
Jeremy was still amazed at how bright the four-year-old was. He knew it was due to Ariel and particularly Clarissa being in c
harge of their education. A number of Originator teaching technologies were being used on the children, ones which Angela checked very carefully before Clarissa was allowed to use them on the children.
“Are we at the new galaxy?” asked Clair. The five-year-old was speaking more like an adult everyday.
Jeremy realized the advancement and education of the children would be like none before. “Yes, Clair. We’re there.”
This seemed to satisfy Clair as she went back to a comfortable chair and picked up a book she had been reading.
“So, Jason. Want to tell me what you’ve been doing?”
Jason nodded his head enthusiastically. “Follow me and we’ll sit down and I’ll tell you everything I’ve learned in the last seven weeks.”
-
Kelsey watched as Jason led Jeremy over to a large sofa and promptly began filling her husband in on what he’d missed. It was nice to have her family back together even if for only a few days. They had come here on a mission and she was second in command of the New Horizon. With a deep sigh, she decided not to worry about it but to enjoy their time together. Walking over to the couch she sat down next to Jeremy and smiled as she listened to Jason tell his father what he had been doing. Kelsey hoped there were many more days like this ahead of them where they could be together as a family. These were the kind of days they would remember and always be special.
Chapter Seven
On the planet Gardell the Council of Eternals was meeting. Over the last several months their stealth battlecruisers had explored a number of the galaxies controlled by the Originators. So far there had been no indication of where the homeworlds of the Humans, Altons, or Carethians were located. However, the explorations were continuing with renewed emphasis on stealth.
“The Originators have filed a protest accusing us of violating the treaty we signed with them,” reported First Leader Fehnral as his eyes swept across the council. “Battlecruiser Commander Vaxall managed to have his ship detected and then engaged in a battle against two Originator warships. This was contrary to the orders he was given. His ship was heavily damaged and forced to withdraw. A number of Eternals lost their lives in the battle.”
“The fool took too many risks,” said Second Leader Abross. “He had orders to avoid detection as well as combat. We are superior to the Originators and the Humans and should not make such mistakes.”
“What has become of Commander Vaxall?” demanded Second Leader Nolant. “He must be punished for his lack of vision and failure to follow orders.”
“He’s been stripped of his command and sent to the penal colony on Darvin Four,” replied Fehnral. “He will be working in the mines on the planet for the rest of his short life. His nanites have also been disabled.”
Disabling an Eternal’s nanites was considered the worst punishment possible because it prevented all the physical and mental enhancements the nanites allowed. It also greatly shortened the lifespan of an Eternal, making them more mortal.
“A suitable punishment,” replied Second Leader Nolant. “It will set a good example for others who may be tempted to disobey our orders.”
Second Leader Torrel shifted his eyes to the First Leader. “What have we told the Originators about our ships being in their territory?”
“Nothing yet,” replied Fehnral. “The search of all of the Originator galaxies should be finished shortly. We have told our stealthed ships to increase their caution and to do everything they can to remain undetected.”
“The Originators are not like other races,” pointed out Second Leader Tarmal. “They have an intelligence nearly equal to our own. If they detect one or two more of our ships they will realize we are searching for something and might very well be able to determine what that is.”
“If they complain again I will tell them it was a mistake one of our field commanders made and he accidentally ordered a survey of Originator galaxies. I will tell him I had the orders rescinded and there will be no further incidents.”
“Subterfuge,” said Second Leader Tallard approvingly. “It might buy us the time we need to find the Human and Alton homeworlds.”
“Once those worlds are found is our fleet ready to attack?” asked Second Leader Queexel.
“Our fleets are gathered and ready,” reported Second Leader Abross. “We shall attack in overwhelming force, annihilating any fleets or defenses the Humans or Altons may have.”
“Will this affect our expansion into other galaxies?”
First Leader Fehnral looked at Queexel. “No, the Originators are only providing token resistance in most of the galaxies we’re currently bringing into the Empire.”
“What about Galaxy X-7294?” queried Queexel. “I understand we’re facing major resistance from an Originator fleet in that galaxy.”
“We are and that fleet has the ship with the blue energy spheres which are deadly to our ships,” replied Fehnral. “So far we have not been able to destroy it. This is the only galaxy the Originators seem determined to keep from us. We have dispatched additional fleet units to deal with the situation.”
“We need to capture that ship if possible,” stated Second Leader Tallard. “Our scientists have not been able to duplicate the science behind the blue energy spheres. We also have not been able to locate a large enough source of dark matter to duplicate their dark energy cannons or missiles.”
“However, we can increase the destructive power of our antimatter missiles to offset the Originator’s dark matter missiles,” said Second Leader Queexel.
First Leader Fehnral looked around the large table at the gathered leaders of the Eternals. “It is our duty as Eternals to conquer and rule the galaxies of this universe. We must destroy the Humans and the Altons who stand in our way. Once that has been done it will be a simple matter to isolate and quarantine all the Shrieels inhabited by the Originators.”
“What do we know of the population of the Shrieels?” asked Second Leader Tarmal. “How many Originators are there? We had assumed at one time they had all died from the plague.”
Fehnral had only recently received detailed reports of what had been found in the small star cluster where some Originators had been in cryo sleep. The report had been disturbing. “We must assume the Originator AIs have managed to find a cure for the plague. We currently estimate there are at a minimum a few hundred thousand living Originators. That number may be as high as one million. We cannot find out since we do not have access to any of the Shrieels.”
“One million,” replied Second Leader Tarmal, his eyes widening. “With that many and their technology they can easily begin repopulating all the Shrieels. While it will take centuries, their numbers may eventually grow large enough for them to become a threat even without the Humans and the Altons.”
“We’ll deal with that when the time comes,” replied Fehnral. “At the moment we know it is too costly to even attempt to capture a Shrieel. The defensive and offensive weapons they are equipped with prevent us from going that route.”
“Then our current plans are to locate the Human and Alton worlds and destroy them. Once that is done we quarantine the Shrieels and take over all the galaxies in Originator space,” said Second Leader Nolant.
Fehnral nodded. “That is the plan. We will conduct our future expansion operations with that in mind.”
The meeting ended with each Eternal returning to his duties. Fehnral remained in the council chamber wondering about the Humans and the Altons. When they were finally found, just how easy was defeating them going to be?
-
In Galaxy X-7294 Commander Zafron gazed at the tactical display at the growing number of red threat icons.
“This fleet is much larger than the last,” reported Kazak. “The Eternals seem determined to maintain their grip on this galaxy.”
“Rear Admiral Mann is requesting orders,” reported Captain Franklyn.
“Prepare to engage,” ordered Commander Zafron in a steady voice. “We need a decisive victory to enable us to take c
ontrol of this galaxy. What are the numbers on the opposing fleet?”
Kazak checked the sensors one more time to verify the numbers. “We’ll be facing 3,214 Eternal battlecruisers.”
Zafron’s own fleet numbered six hundred dreadnoughts and four thousand battlecruisers. Rear Admiral Mann’s fleet was of the same size. That should give them a comfortable margin in firepower even though the Eternal battlecruisers were larger. “Take us in. Let’s drive the Eternals out of this galaxy once and for all!”
Commander Zafron shifted his gaze to the main viewscreen, which covered three walls of the Command Center. In front of them were a myriad of Eternal warships. All battle damage to the Dominator had been repaired over the last few months. Now it was time to see how well those repairs would hold up in battle. A group of AI battlecruisers had been assigned to stay close to the flagship to ensure the Eternals didn’t try to ram the ship again. Several other defensive measures had been initiated by Kazak to prevent such a possibility.
“Enemy contact in two minutes,” reported Captain Grayson.
“All weapons are online and ready to fire,” reported Major Donaldson. Donaldson could fire all of the ship’s weapons except the blue energy spheres, which were under Kazak’s direct control.
“Rear Admiral Mann’s fleet is moving in from our left flank,” added Captain Grayson.
Commander Zafron nodded. They were going to put the Eternals in a pincer movement and crush the enemy fleet between them.
-
Rear Admiral Hailey Mann was in her command chair on board her flagship, the Victory.
“The fleet is at Condition One and we’re closing with the enemy,” reported Commander Sutherland. “Enemy contact in one minute.”
“We’ll hit them with a full wave of dark matter missiles as well as antimatter missiles,” ordered Hailey. “Then we will close to pointblank range and hammer them with our dark energy and antimatter cannons. Battlecruisers are to support and provide covering fire for the dreadnoughts.”
The Originator Wars: Explorations: A Lost Fleet Novel Page 9