Ellis was surrounded and at any moment he could get killed. Moriarty stood there shooting and being shot at until he was shot in the stomach. He then dropped to his knees and was killed. Two of the three Dragon Clones was in hand-to-hand combat before they too were killed. The third Dragon Clone was in the same predicament as Moriarty and he too was quickly killed. Viper 33X was caught between the wall of a gun turret and a kill zone. It was only a matter of time before both he, and Ellis, is killed. But what saved them is when five Dragon Clones came out of a nearby gun turret to provide assistance. As for Ellis, it was Ramirez and Jaguar 42R who saved him. Both of them was at the entrance that led to the underground sector of the lab complex, and thus, much further away. Although Viper 33X and the five other Dragon Clones attempted to move to a much better firing position, two of them was killed and the other three was overrun before they got there. Viper 33X saved the beach because he was now in a position that could not be overrun. Before Wexler, Guerrero, Liebowitz and the last five Dragon Clones got into the action, the last wave of Fiends came over the terrain. Liebowitz was killed when three Fiends rushed his position. Guerrero was killed when he, and three Dragon Clones, rushed the position of some Fiends. Two of the Dragon Clones was killed when they saved the life of both Ramirez and Ellis who was fixing to be overrun. And then it was over. The only people left alive on the beach were: Ramirez, Ellis, Jaguar 42R, Viper 33X and Wexler. Shortly afterwards, they heard Hayes deliver his final message.
“This is Lenkov, go ahead.” Lenkov said to Vaistll who just called him to inform him that it was all over. The video feed was poor, but the audio was clear.
“The army of Fiends . . . have been crushed.” Vaistll mentioned.
“How many of your people survived?”
“Taylor, Ramirez, Nakada, Ellis, Martinez, Wexler and Coté. As for the Dragon Clones only Jaguar 42R and Viper 33X is left.” She said under her breath.
“Understood. Both Sayaka, myself, as well as Captain Maxwell, are coming down.” Lenkov said. It caught Vaistll off guard when he mentioned that. After what she and the Dragon Clones went through, he’s coming down? Is he crazy or what? Or maybe it’s something else.
(4)
“Sir, we’ve tried everything. We can’t explain why the TIA will not allow us to access it’s computers.” The engineer informed Lieutenant Commander North.
“Alright. I’ll inform Omori.”
“Omori here. Go ahead.” She responded. It was obvious that she was drinking.
“Ma’am, we still can’t access the TIA.”
“Understood. Check the Valknut. Maybe there was something that we’ve overlooked.” Omori said through a drunken stupor.
Eighteen minutes later (and three minutes before her dropship landed) she got the call from North stating that there was a glitch in the Valknut. When she asked what was the glitch he’d mentioned that the Valknut still perceived the TIA as part of itself. And like a computer virus it is now perceiving both the LMPG and the Hammer of Doom as part of itself. Omori had a lot more drinking to do before the day is over.
(5)
The captains of the fleet was meeting in the conference room on Captain Easton’s ship. They were deeply afraid that their ships may be taken over by the Valknut virus. North informed them that is absurd since their ships is not connected to the Hammer of Doom. Although not one them thought about, let alone considered it, the destruction of the Hammer of Doom, they all agree that must be considered just in case.
Since the Hammer of Doom is in geosynchronous orbit over Golden Hyperion (it is still slowly drifting into deep space) it would give the engineers time to figure out a plan to regain control of the ship/TIA/LMPG. Lieutenant Commander North had a plan to put the ship into a geosynchronous orbit over Ishtar. If that is done than it would give them control for a very long time. He, along with Lenkov, Omori, and Captain Maxwell, still felt like the so-call Valknut virus is a Dark Core trap. That it is somehow, in someway, being control by them.
(6)
“Why did the three of you come here? Don’t you know that it is too dangerous for you to be here?” Vaistll asked Lenkov, Omori, and Captain Maxwell.
“We’re Skotadian. You wouldn’t understand.” Omori responded. It caused both Lenkov and Captain Maxwell to smile.
Vaistll then led them to the administration building. What was left of her team had to listen as the burial robots was collecting and killing the wounded Fiends and placing them on a funeral pyre. Her team was collecting their own dead to bury them personally. As for both Jaguar 42R and Viper 33X? They had too many to bury so they let the burial robots take care of that, placing them in a mass grave.
“Oh my god. According to this, the Valknut is not a computer virus as we first thought.” Omori responded when she looked at the data in the administration building. Infernus was innocent and their previous actions had huge ramifications. They will have no way to inform Lieutenant Commander North of their findings. At least not until several more hours. But by then it will be too late for they knew what will come next.
(7)
Infernus escaped his prison and was able to secure an escape pod and then headed off to Captain Levine’s ship. By the time that Lenkov was able to contact the Hammer of Doom it was then discovered that Infernus escape and several personnel was killed. By the time that Captain Levine was told that Infernus was on his ship it was too little too late. There was very little that he could do as Infernus was trying to take over certain parts of his ship. Although Levine could use his ship’s internal sensors to find Infernus, those sensors will not allow a Dark Core member to be tracked.
Levine and his security team was chasing the bread crumbs of the sightings of Infernus. And then it happened, he made it to the bridge and killed everyone there. Infernus could now control the ship to a limited degree. He programmed the ship to fly straight into the dark void of the unknown space station in orbit over Omicron Ultra. When Levine learn that Infernus had done, he sent a message to the fleet to give chase as well as inform Lenkov. It is at this point that it was discovered that the starbase is a gamma-ray burster. If it goes off than Omicron Ultra will become a supernova. That would kill everyone within that star system. The gamma ray has no more than a 30% chance of hitting a alien planet killing 15 billion people. It’s target is a undiscovered part of the galaxy. No information can be discerned about what that target is.
Lenkov had to order the other captains to destroy Levine’s ship as well as to have his crew abandon ship. Captain Levine stayed on board for as long as he could trying to enter the bridge and then to reprogram the ship’s course. But to no avail. Infernus used a strong encryption that would nearly take a week to crack. In the end they too had to abandon ship. Much to their detriment the ship entered into the dark void and then detonated. The void then became unstable with no one knowing what will cause it to fire. As for Infernus? A through search of all escape pods turned up nothing. Reviewing the data from the fleet turned up nothing either. Did Infernus commit suicide? Although that did seem highly likely, no Dark Core member would ever do that. Lenkov, Omori and Captain Maxwell was so mistrusting of the evidence that he did in fact die that they wanted to do a through search of all of Levine’s crew. Levine killed that idea but he did not mind to send his crew to help reinforce the Main Laboratory: Ultra 3X.
(8)
“Our options are few and far in between.” Lenkov was informing the other captains.
“Any recommendations?” Captain Irwin asked.
“Theoretically we may be able shine light on it’s inner workings given the fact that it is now unstable. If not, or if we are unable to ascertain a method for increasing it’s stability, then we must find a way to extrapolate the data within it’s computers.” Omori responded.
“That last part will be very difficult ma’am.” Captain Easton mentioned.
“I’m well aware of the difficulties involved. But I do have a way to achieve it, but it will take some time to implement. We need to
activate the TEN to act as a buffer between the fleet and the Valknut. Your SIN will be updated about what the TEN is upon request. It is also possible that it could defeat the Valknut. Lieutenant Commander North stated that it is theoretically possible that it should work. In an effort to give us extra speed we will need your fleet to dock with the TIA. As for that GRB starbase, we will have to merge with it in an effort to figure out a way to defeat it.” Omori responded.
“Wouldn’t that be detrimental to your ship’s computers?” Captain Easton asked.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but no.” Omori responded.
“Why not just tug the thing away from the star?” Captain DeVore asked.
“Try it already. Back when we first arrived. As powerful as this ship’s engines are, the damn thing wouldn’t even budge.” Lenkov responded.
“So what would happen if we destroy the starbase?” Captain Easton asked.
“It would completely destabilize the dark void.” Captain Maxwell responded.
“Exactly.” Omori responded.
“Our only option is to do as Sayaka is suggesting.” Lenkov mentioned.
“So what do you want us to do?” Captain Levine asked.
“All crew members on each ship, including the Hammer of Doom, must abandon ship and head down here to provide additional support. There is a Dark Core Elite Yacht here that Captain Maxwell can use to monitor the situation. We cannot allow Dark Core to retake the laboratory. For if they do then it will greatly complicate matters in defeating them.” Lenkov responded.
“Time is precious. Conference over.” Sayaka mentioned.
(9)
“Our situation, my dear, has went from grave to something far worse.” Captain Maxwell was sending a message to his wife. “All crew members must abandon ship and head down to the surface and provide support for those at the wretched laboratory. I am stuck upon this world trying my best to protect those under my command. I also know that if Lenkov and Omori fail than all life upon this world will be lost. I miss you so much that it hurts. I am lost without you and I can’t wait for your loving embrace. Please do not cry for me my darling wife for I know that I will spend all of eternity in the great hereafter with you. I love you so much but I fear for my life, for I do not think that I should live much longer.”
(10)
“So what are we suppose to call you?” Vaistll asked what Lenkov and Omori became after they merge into one. Like two rivers becoming one, so did both of them.
“Call me TEN for that is what I am now. I see that the vultures are here. Get on with the repairs of the defensives for I shall deal with them.” TEN responded.
“And who are you? For I was not aware of any other Fleet Captains upon this world.” The vulture, err, the news reporter asked TEN.
“I am what is call a Tentative Experimental Nanomorph. TEN for short. It allows both Lenkov and Omori to become as one. If they so desire they could separate back into who they once were.” TEN responded.
“You said . . . ‘Tentative Experimental Nanomorph,’ could you please explain that more clearly for us?” The reporter asked him.
“It means that it is extremely experimental. It is the sole reason why neither Lenkov nor Omori ever attempted this before.” TEN responded.
“And what of Dark Core? How do they feel about what you call yourself?” The reporter asked.
“They wholeheartedly approve. This body is based upon the reversed engineered notes of the Valkyrie and the Andromeda civilization technology.”
“Ah, uh. And what about the rumors about Lenkov and . . . Sakura? And just how did Omori felt about that?” The news reporter asked.
“What!?” TEN angrily responded. He was in no mood to do deal with the vultures and their gotcha journalism.
“You know . . . about them being secret lovers.” The reporter responded.
“I don’t know where you people are getting your facts but you seriously need to recheck them. There is no truth to that.” TEN responded with contempt.
“That’s not what my sources are saying.” The news reporter responded.
“Then your information must come from conspiracy theorists. Either that it comes from recent Dark Core propaganda.” TEN responded with growing contempt.
“Dark Core don’t use propaganda against those who are considered patriots. So just why would you believe that they are using propaganda against you?”
“Are you suggesting that I am a traitor to Skotadi just because I dare to defend this world, and the good people here, against Dark Core who needs to be taken down for the good of Skotadi?” TEN responded with even more contempt.
“That’s not what we are suggesting. Have you revealed your secret plans to take over this world?” The news reporter asked.
“I did have information concerning the fate of Infernus . . . but since you people want to live up to your reputation of being nothing more than vultures I decided to withhold that information until a later date. I also decided to use the TIA to send all over the social media sites, and the Internet, the proof that you people was doing gotcha journalism on me. But I must inform you that I must get back to the Hammer of Doom and try my best to save the lives of the good people here.” TEN responded and then he left.
(11)
“How’s my best engineering officer?” TEN asked Lieutenant Commander North.
“Sir . . . there is very little that we can do about the GRB starbase. The only way that we could theoretically gleam any insight into it is to manually connect this ship with the starbase.” North responded.
“But that will kill the skeleton crew through radiation.”
“Yes sir.”
“What about androids?”
“Sir it would fry their subsystems. There’s just too much radiation coming from the dark void. It would create electronic interference.”
“What about this ship?”
“Sir . . .?”
“Just answer my question.”
“No. The ship like all other ships and starbases it is well protected, sir. But not the crew. Only the electronics.”
“And the AI is basically fried because of the LMPG.”
“Yes sir.”
“Then the only way to save the day is to integrate myself into the ship’s computers like Sakura did before me with that of the TIA starbase.”
“Sir I must strongly protest!”
“On what grounds?”
“I . . . um . . . I . . . There are too many unknown variables.” North who, didn’t want to lose his beloved commander, responded. It only caused TEN to smile.
“Then give me a better way to save the day and I will be all for it.”
“Sir . . . I . . . um . . .” North was saying.
“Then let’s make it happen.”
“Yes sir.” North responded.
Lieutenant Commander North spent the next few hours getting everything ready for the connection. It was so hard upon him to do as his commander is asking but he had a job to do. He really did love both of them and it hurt him to be doing as he is being asked to. But he realized that it was the only way to save lives.
(12)
“I’m now in position. Wish me luck.” TEN informed everyone who could still received the transmission. But because of the interference from the dark void the only thing that anybody got was a garbled message. There was, however, a probe but the only thing that it could send back was a video and that too was receiving interference. Nevertheless everyone could still pick up the emergency beacon that transmitted the health of the ship, in this case it’s computers.
(13)
“What the fuck just happened?” Captain Maxwell nearly shouted.
“Sir . . . the Hammer of Doom, the fleet, and the starbase just went dead. There’s very little activity coming from their computers.” The officer responded.
“What about the emergency beacon?”
“Inactive sir. I’m not detecting anything.”
“What about Lenkov and Om
ori?”
“Sir . . . there’s just too much interference to get an accurate reading. It might be the GRB starbase that is off-line or it could be everything.” The officer responded.
“Holy shit.” Captain Maxwell said under his breath. He didn’t know what to do at that point. Nothing could explain it, except the worse.
“Sir . . . the dark void appears to be expanding!” The officer informed him.
Eight-and-a-half minutes later, the Hammer of Doom, the fleet, the starbase, and the dark void just disappeared into nothingness. Captain Maxwell was just so shell shock that he had to move the probe closer and take a look. And like the officer said, they were all gone. No ship, no fleet, no starbase, nothing.
(14)
Mad Dawg and his Marines was nearing the underground storage area. He just got the news about TEN. Although he also learned that the torpedo launcher was in place, it was bitter sweet for him to hear that part. Everything was just too surreal to him. The fate of Task Force ZH-3C and what they went through. Although there are still eight members left, everyone knows that the team is finished in the eyes of Project 21. And then there are the Dragon Clones. As tough they have been reduced to two. But the greatest hurt and pain of them all is the loss of the fleet, the TIA starbase, the Hammer of Doom, and worst still Lenkov and Omori. And the only good news is that two of those cosmic super weapons are no more and perhaps Infernus himself.
“Sir . . . why must we go to the trouble of setting up these defensives when we’re just dealing with a clone storage area.” Private First Class Entwistle asked.
2288: The Skotadian Experiment Page 25