Planet of the Valkyries

by Callista Hawkes

  “I believe the ship and the crew is equal to the challenge, Captain.” You reply earnestly.

  “I agree.” She replies. “I trust I can rely on you to welcome and look after our esteemed dignitary?”

  “Of course, Captain.” You reply.

  “Good.” She replies. “You are to see that Ambassador Hathaway’s every need and requirement is satisfied. Our honoured guest is instrumental in making the peace treaty a reality. It is imperative that we make every effort to ensure it succeeds. Millions of lives depend on it. Understood Commander?”

  “Understood Captain.” You nod, turning to leave.

  “Kyle, wait.” She sighs.

  “Ma’am?” You turn back, the captain addressing you by your first name rare to say the least.

  “The ambassador has a certain... reputation.” She tells you. “You may find that more is required of you than might reasonably be expected. I urge you to do what is necessary, even if you find it a little... unusual.” Knitting your eyebrows, you nod. Captain Madison turns away and gazes once again into the depths of space beyond the window. The briefing apparently over, you leave the captain’s office and wonder what she meant. As you step back onto the bridge, you decide to spend some time researching the mission. You sit down at a vacant station next to Ensign Anderson who casts you a curious glance. As you log in, you wonder whether to check the records of the Aurigan Empire or given the captain’s enigmatic comments, perhaps Ambassador Hathaway’s background may be of more interest.

  Access the records for the Aurigan Empire

  Check Ambassador Hathaway’s file

  You bring up Ambassador Hathaway’s profile. No photo and some of the details have been redacted. Her personal details are scant to say the least: She was born on Mars, top grades at school, a degree from the prestigious University of Olympus Mons. Married once. Divorced once. You turn your attention to her professional record.

  “Impressive.” You murmur as you read through it. She began her career with the Earth Alliance’s diplomatic corps. She rose steadily, becoming an assistant to the ambassador to Andromeda. Having impressed in that role, she was promoted to an ambassador in her own right. She made a name for herself by brokering a peace treaty with the savage Proxians twenty two years earlier. This was followed by a series of several other high profile treaties and trade agreements with many of the major galactic races. Even her failures would have been considered successes in many quarters. You note with interest that while she failed to form an alliance with the Aurigan Empire twenty years earlier, she did negotiate the treaty establishing the demilitarised zone between Earth Alliance space and their territory. She seems well respected throughout the galaxy, no more so than in the corridors of power within the Earth Alliance. When the opportunity to deescalate the rising tensions between humans and Aurigans, her name was on a shortlist of one. However, there is nothing in the file to shed any light on what the Captain had alluded to. Guess you’ll have to find out for yourself. You check the time. Just a few minutes until the Ambassador is due to arrive.

  Quickly examine the records for the Aurigan Empire

  Make your way to the hanger bay

  You bring up the ship’s records for the Aurigan Empire. There is a photo of an Aurigan male and female. While they are humanoid in appearance, they have decidedly feline qualities with pointed swept back ears protruding through their hair high on their heads and amber eyes with elongated oval pupils. The female also possesses a long tail. Other than a few traders and diplomats, Aurigans are very rarely seen outside their territory, preferring an isolationist policy. The Aurigans have little apparent interest in the affairs of the rest of the galaxy and what happens within their own territory is also shrouded in mystery. What little information has reached beyond their borders is sobering reading with suggestions of a totalitarian fascist regime which brutally subjugates hundreds of worlds within the empire. Their leader, Empress Vekka, has a fearsome and ruthless reputation, ruling with an iron fist from her seat of power on Auriga Prime.

  “The Aurigan Empire.” Ensign Anderson murmurs with disdain next to you. “A barbaric race. My uncle was serving aboard the Kepler when they made contact with the Aurigan Empire.”

  “I’m sorry.” You reply, glancing across at her.

  “It’s okay, I was just a baby at the time.” She replies. You had been in high school yourself when it had happened. The Kepler was an exploratory vessel probing the outer reaches of the known galaxy. They had unwittingly entered Aurigan Imperial space and had been met with deadly force. No contact let alone a warning, just a barrage of pulse cannon fire. The Kepler had been ripped apart in seconds, the vessel’s black box transmitting her final moments back to a horrified Earth Alliance. The Cephians, a race known to both the Earth Alliance and the Aurigan Empire had arranged a meeting and Ambassador Hathaway had represented Earth. An uneasy truce had been made and a demilitarised zone agreed between the territories. Over recent years, there had been rumours of Aurigan Imperial vessels crossing the demilitarised zone and tensions had been escalating. You check the time. The Ambassador is almost due.

  Quickly read Ambassador Hathaway’s file

  Make your way to the hanger bay

  “I know how important our mission is, but if we have enough time, we really should check on the Xeno-archaeologists.” You reply.

  “Yes, you’re right.” Captain Madison nods after a moment. “Very well. Helm, lay in a course for Xerxes VI.”

  A few hours later, you stand just behind the captain’s chair, watching on the forward view screen as the Ranger enters orbit around the reddish brown sphere of Xerxes VI.

  “Standard orbit, Captain.” The helm officer confirms.

  “Very good.” She replies, rising from her chair and glancing at the communications officer. “Open a channel to the research base.” The view of the planet is replaced by a grey haired man with a thin serious face. He is wearing the dark blue uniform of the Xeno Archaeology Guild and tinted protective glasses.

  “Greetings. I am Captain Elizabeth Madison of the United Earth Ship Ranger.” She smiles politely, brushing a few strands of her auburn hair from her eyes.

  “I’m Director Henson.” The dour faced man replies. “What can we do for you, Captain?”

  “We were passing through the local system and High Command has asked us to check in on you.” She explains.

  “That’s very kind of you,” He smiles thinly, “And I thank you for your visit, however we have nothing to report at this time. We are very busy, so if you would excuse me?”

  “Of course.” The Captain blinks, glancing over her shoulder at you as the screen returns to the view of the planet.

  “Not exactly throwing out the welcome mat.” You comment, raising an eyebrow.

  “He was certainly evasive.” She murmurs before frowning. “Something feels off, Commander.” She straightens, her grey eyes gleaming. “Don’t you have an acquaintance on the base down there?”

  “Isla Phoenix.” You nod. “We were at the Academy together.”

  “You were close?” She asks, a subtle smile playing on her lips.

  “We were.” You nod, feeling your face flush a little. The Captain chuckles.

  “Good. Take a shuttle down to the surface and seek her out. Question her and find out if anything is amiss.”

  “Aye Captain.” You nod and step into the turbolift at the back of the bridge.

  An hour later and you are piloting a shuttle towards the surface of the planet. The dark and desolate volcanic terrain rushes up to meet you and you level off, flying just above the surface. In the distance, you can see a series of small bio domes, all interlinked with narrow tubular passageways. The research base and home to fifteen staff. You know that while the base is small, a major dig is underway beneath the surface. There is a landing pad next to the base, though given Henson’s abrupt and evasive behaviour, perhaps you’d be better served setting down nearby and infiltrating the research base without his knowledg
e.

  Set down on the landing pad

  Go for the covert approach

  You throttle down the thrusters and set down on the other side of a ridge, out of sight of the research base. Fastening a gun belt around your waist, you slip a blaster into the holster. The weapon is set to stun, but you hope the sight alone will be enough to ensure the cooperation of any of the base personnel. As you step out of the shuttle, you glance up at the sulphurous yellow skies before looking about you. The landscape is even more desolate and foreboding on the surface. The temperature is a cool and you can see your breath as you begin to scramble up the steep side of the ridge towards the research base. The gravity is a little less than on Earth, so your climb isn’t too taxing. You reach the crest of the ridge and gaze down at the interconnected bio domes. No one is outside, so your approach shouldn’t be spotted. You slide down the loose shale towards the base and move quickly towards the door of one of the domes. It slides open and you step inside the clinical white walled corridors of the base. Long windows along one side of the corridor overlook several laboratories with a multitude of state-of-the-art instruments and equipment. You can see two men inside studying an ancient looking stone tablet laid out on a stainless steel bench before them. You duck low and peer in at them as they work.

  “Carbon dating puts it at between four and five thousand years old.” One murmurs.

  “That’s consistent with the symbiote time scale.” The other replies.

  “But what does it mean?” The first asks, closely examining the artefact.

  “Henson’s symbiote is the scholar amongst them.” The second replies. “Perhaps we should consult him.” They turn around and you feel the blood drain from your face. Both men’s eyes are filled with an unearthly purple glow. In your shock, you fail to conceal yourself and they spot you at the window.

  “Intruder! Sound the alarm.” The first cries out, running across the laboratory to thump a large red button on the wall. A deafening klaxon sounds and red lights strobe along the length of the corridor. Moments later, the exterior door behind you slides open and two armed guards step inside, their eyes too glowing purple.

  “Halt! Throw down your weapon!” One shouts. While you have no intention of surrendering, you do have to decide between fight and flight.

  Open fire

  Run

  You quickly draw your blaster and open fire.

  “Shit!” You hear one of the guards grunt as your shot hits his leg. “He’s hostile!” They duck back behind the frame of the door, using it as cover.

  “Light him up!” The other guard yells. Both of them open fire, blaster fire filling the corridor. Outnumbered and with no cover, the result is inevitable. A blaster bolt sizzles through your chest and you collapse heavily to the floor, mortally wounded. Writhing and grunting in pain, you are barely aware of the guards’ approaching footsteps.

  “Look at his uniform! He’s Galactic Navy!” One exclaims as he kicks your blaster away. “We’re in deep shit now.”

  “He was an intruder and opened fire first.” The second replies. “We did our jobs, that’s all. Looks like this poor bastard isn’t going to make it.”

  “This is going to be awkward.” The first sighs. “They’ll send more after him to investigate. Director Henson isn’t going to be happy. You know how he feels about maintaining secrecy about the symbiotes. Outsiders wouldn’t understand what we’ve…” As darkness closes in around you, you never hear the end of the sentence, the mystery remaining unsolved.

  THE END

  Go back a few moments and rethink your actions

  As you are outnumbered, you decide to flee, turning and sprinting down the corridor and moving deeper into the laboratory complex. The klaxons continue to wail and you can hear shouting behind you as the guards pursue you. As you turn a corner, you can see a large lift ahead of you. You step inside the glass sided car and jab your finger at the controls. The doors slide closed just as the two guards reach it, their purple glowing eyes gazing malevolently at you through the transparent doors as the repulsor drive kicks in. The lift slowly descends, leaving them behind before accelerating rapidly downwards. Walls of volcanic rock race past as you plummet into the depths of Xerxes VI. You breathe a sigh of relief at having given your pursuers the slip, but your mind reels at what you have seen. You wonder what awaits you deep below the surface of the planet.

  After a couple of minutes, the lift gradually slows to a stop and the doors slide open. You step out into a long tunnel that has been bored out of the rock. As you walk towards the harsh glow of artificial lights at the far end, you replay the scientists’ conversation in your mind. The strange glow of their eyes must be linked to the symbiotes they spoke of. Are they all under the thrall of some strange alien life form they have unearthed?

  You reach the end of the tunnel which opens out into a colossal cavern, illuminated by hundreds of floodlights on gantries fixed into the rocky ceiling. You stop, your jaw dropping in amazement at the sight before you. A vast city of towering spires and arches. Ancient and unmistakably alien. You have never seen anything like it from any alien race on the dozens of worlds you have visited. Conscious of the pursuing guards, you move forward and weave your way through the labyrinthine city. Despite your peril, you find yourself gazing awestruck at the ruined buildings stretching up on each side of the streets. There are indications of advanced technology, which given the age of the ruins, would have put the long dead civilisation far beyond any other known race. You turn a corner and stop dead in your tracks at a familiar figure studying some strange alien hieroglyphs on the side of one of the buildings. It’s been more than a decade since you last saw Isla Phoenix, but you recognise her immediately. Her tall, athletic figure, the casual pose with her weight on one foot, her hand on her hip. She obviously still has a fondness for dying her hair. It was blue last time you saw her, but today her long hair is dyed pink and tied neatly in a ponytail. Hearing your footsteps approaching, she glances in your direction. You gasp, the purple glow of her eyes seems even brighter in the dim light of the cavern.

  “Oh God, Isla, not you too!” You recoil away.

  “Kyle Chase!” She smiles, recognising you and taking a step in your direction.

  “Stay back!” You growl. “What the hell is going on here?”

  “Calm down.” She replies, her smile faltering a little. “It’s me. It’s Isla! You’ve nothing to be afraid of.”

  “I think you’d better start explaining.” You tell her, resisting the urge to reach for your blaster.

  “It will be easier if I show you.” She replies, taking a cautious step towards you.

  Let her show you

  Pull your blaster on her and demand an explanation

  Deciding to do things by the book, you fly the shuttle towards the base, expertly swinging the vessel around in a tight arc until you are hovering directly over the landing pad. After lowering the landing gear, you slowly descend onto the landing pad, setting down with a barely noticeable bump. You climb from your seat and pause before reaching into a weapons locker behind you. Pulling out a blaster, you fasten a gun belt around your waist and having set the weapon to stun, you slip it into the holster at your side. You smile. That should help with cooperation. You punch open the door. It slides open and you step down onto the landing pad. The door to the nearest dome slides open and Henson strides towards you flanked by two security guards, each clad in body armour and helmets with visors. Henson’s face is flushed and his expression livid.

  “Who are you?” He demands as he reaches you. “What’s your business here?”

  “I am Commander Kyle Chase of the Ranger.” You reply coolly. “Captain Madison has asked me to inspect your base personally.”

  “This is quite irregular!” He growls. “I have already told your captain that we do not need any assistance. I would remind you that this is a Xeno Archaeology Guild facility! You have no jurisdiction here!”

  “The Galactic Navy is responsible for the
safety of all of the Earth Alliance’s citizens out on the frontier.” You snap back at him.

  “Well, I forbid it.” He tells you firmly. “If you do not leave immediately, I have authorised my men to use force.” The two security guards step forward, their hands resting on the butts of their own holstered blasters.

  Return to the Ranger

  Shoot the guards

  The first guard has just enough time to flinch as you snatch your blaster from its holster. You fire from the hip and the guard crumples to the floor. The second has drawn his blaster as you twist and fire again. The weapon slips from his fingers, clattering to the floor a split second before he too keels over. Henson glances from one unconscious guard to the other before blanching and looking up at you.

  “Ready to cooperate?” You smile grimly, your blaster now levelled at him. He gulps and nods. “Good. Now where can I find Isla Phoenix?”

  “She’s down on the dig.” Henson tells you before gesturing at the door behind him. “Take the lift down all the way to the bottom and you’ll find her there.”

  “Thanks.” You reply, striding past him.

  “You might not thank me when you find her.” He calls out. You ignore his enigmatic comment and step inside the facility. The domes are the usual combination of offices, laboratories and staff accommodation you have seen on numerous other colonies and bases across the galaxy. The lift is a little more unique and you step inside the glass sided car and jab your finger at the controls. The repulsor drive hums as the lift descends rapidly downwards, walls of volcanic rock racing past as you plummet into the depths of Xerxes VI. After a couple of minutes, the lift gradually slows to a halt and the doors slide open. You step out into a long tunnel that has been bored out of the rock. You can see the harsh glow of artificial lights at the far end and walk towards it.