Sodenia's War Box Set

by Luigi Robles

  At first, the group of six was being dragged by the powerful machine, but as it picked up speed, their feet were no longer touching the floor. The machine bumped the wall twice on a narrow turn, but thanks to the shields, the damage was minimal. They made it to the space shuttle hatch in under seven minutes.

  “From here on out, it’s just the six of you and the capsule,” Kya said through the coms as the machine came to a stop just before the last door of the hatch.

  “What? Why?” John asked.

  “We won’t fit…” Eora said as she unlocked herself and let go of the machine.

  “We’ll be fine,” Larissa said. “There’s no gravity behind this door. We’ll be able to move the capsules easily.”

  “I’ll have a team of medics waiting for you at the docks,” Kya said through the coms. “Along with another Anvelin to facilitate the situation.”

  “Pycca, you should be there also,” Larissa said. “I get the feeling that we’ll need your help.”

  “I’ll be there,” Pycca said through the coms. “Good luck, see you when you get here.”

  8

  The Message

  The space shuttle made it back to Sodenia’s docks with less than five minutes to spare. For Eora, having less than five minutes to spare was a little too close for comfort. So, as the space shuttle was docking, she was already standing up and getting ready to leave. Sodenia’s artificial gravity was already affecting the shuttle and returning normal weight to their bodies. Going from more than double their weight to zero and back to normal was debilitating to Eora. Now, simple movements felt like an impossible task. But she wasn’t done yet.

  “As soon as that door opens,” Eora said as she gestured towards the loading dock door at the back of the shuttle, “we are moving out. Go to either side of the shuttle so the rescue crew can enter the shuttle easily and pull out the capsules.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Lorenzo said, getting up right away from his seat. The other two followed.

  “Fain,” Eora said through the coms. “As soon as we dock, we are coming out. Just give us a few seconds to clear the shuttle.”

  “You got it,” Fain said through the coms. “We are standing by to help in any way we can.”

  The shuttle came to a stop, and the rear door opened. Eora and her crew immediately ran out to the docks. There was a large group of people already waiting for them, including several medics, Pycca and some of her engineers, five or six Anvelins, and Fain. Eora went to the left of the space shuttle while her crew went to the right. She and her crew stopped running as soon as they were far enough away from the crowd.

  Without giving it a second thought, Eora took off her helmet and drew in a lung-full of fresh air. She began sweating profusely. Her body was exhausted and her muscles were in pain, and she instantly fell to her knees. She attempted to keep removing her suit, but she couldn’t; she was just too tired. She hadn’t realized that she was this tired. Was it because the danger was over and the adrenaline was beginning to fade away? She looked over to the right, trying to spot her crew. She saw glimpses of them, also on the floor.

  Eora heard some footsteps near her, and when she looked at her surroundings, she saw a group of medics already standing there.

  “Ma’am,” one of the medics said as she got on her knees to talk with Eora. “We are here to help you. We’ll start an assessment.”

  “Just please,” Eora said, trying to catch her breath. “Please, help me take off this stupid suit.” She felt like she couldn’t move because of it, and she wanted it off.

  “Yes, ma’am,” the nearby medic said. “If anything hurts, please let us know.”

  Eora nodded as the group of medics went to work on her suit. The medics expertly took off the spacesuit, leaving only the liquid cooling and heating ventilation garment on.

  “Thank you,” Eora said once they were done.

  “We’ll take your vitals now,” the medic said.

  “No,” Eora said, looking intently towards the crowd of people near the shuttle. She was waiting for the alien capsules to be brought outside. “That can wait; we have bigger problems at the moment.” Eora gestured towards the Anvelin that was dragging out one of the capsules.

  Eora knew that opening those capsules wouldn’t be an easy task. It was alien technology that they were dealing with, technology that they knew nothing about. They had Pycca and Kya, but would that be enough? Could they figure out a way to open the capsules before the time ran out? Eora had paid attention to the Ochilenes ship, and it was much different than anything she had seen before. The situation looked bleak.

  “How much time do we have?” Eora asked through her wristband.

  “Less than three minutes,” Fain answered.

  Eora began running a mental list of all the weapons on board Sodenia. She wanted to find something, anything, that could possibly help open the capsules. But she quickly realized that there was nothing that would open the capsules without toasting what was inside.

  She looked over to the nearest capsule and saw Pycca on her knees with a flashlight in her hand, going through the torn wires and mechanisms on one side of the capsule. Pycca looked frustrated and was moving a lot faster than she should. Kya, in her android body, was inspecting the capsule. Fain was standing there watching, unmoving.

  “This is not going to work.” Pycca’s voice came in. “I don’t think I’ll be able to figure this out in time. I’m now taking ideas.”

  “Eora,” Fain said through the wristband. “Do you have anything? Any ideas?”

  Then it dawned on her. What if she was looking for the solution to the problem in the wrong place? What if the solution was much simpler than trying to understand the technology or blowing the capsules into pieces?

  “Have the Anvelin pry it open,” Eora said, suddenly reanimated.

  The crowd moved away from the capsules, and the Anvelin moved in. There were two Anvelins per capsule. But even then, the capsules remained closed.

  “Anything else?” Fain asked through the wristbands. “I don’t think the Anvelins have enough power to open these things.”

  Eora took a deep breath. The only reason we were able to pry open the airlock on the Ochilenes ship was because there was no latch in place or anything of that sort, Eora thought. We would have had a much harder time if there was one. To generate momentum on an inert object that has no play would be extremely taxing on any machinery. Hydraulics could do it. Perhaps Pycca already thought of that, but it’ll be slow. Rockets might be able to, but it would be extremely reckless inside the ship. There has to be something else. Think, Eora! Think!

  Then the solution became obvious.

  “Bring me a heavy-duty deployable shield,” Eora said, struggling to get up. Her feet felt shaky and her knees weak. “Make that a few.”

  Eora made her way to the nearest capsule, catching her breath as she did so. As she walked, she saw an Anvelin speeding down Sodenia’s docks, carrying what she had asked for. She tried to run, but her body wouldn’t let her.

  When Eora got to the first capsule, she was winded and gasping. But she went to work on her plan all the same. She knew that seconds would make the difference. And whatever the outcome might be, it would have a large impact on humanity.

  “What do you need us to do? Talk to me,” Pycca said once Eora got within earshot. “Let us know what you have in mind.”

  “Grab a shield,” Eora said, trying to catch her breath and grabbing a deployable shield. “Set the timer to five seconds, wedge it in between the Anvelins’ arms, and run away. But make sure the front is facing towards the capsule.”

  “Remind me which part is the front again,” Pycca said as she picked up a shield. “I just need to make sure.”

  “It’s the pointy part,” Eora said as she made her way between the two Anvelins attempting to pry open the capsule.

  “Got it,” Pycca said.

  “Everyone get clear,” Fain said as he too grabbed a shield and ran to the furthest capsule. �
��Kya, we might need your help. Get ready to catch.”

  They all stood clear, with only the Anvelins and the capsules remaining. Seconds later, as the shields attempted to deploy themselves, the sound of metal ripping and shattering thundered in the docks, and the capsule lids flew into the air, along with some of the Anvelins’ limbs. But before the large debris and capsule doors fell to the floor, there were other Anvelins in place to catch them.

  The medics rushed to the capsules, one of them yelling, “They are alive, but we need to go to the medical bay now.”

  It was 0335 hours when Fain woke up because of a slight vibration on his pillow. He had only gotten two or so hours of sleep since the Ochilenes made it on board Sodenia. It turned out that dealing with an alien race’s medical condition was a little complicated, to say the least.

  Fain had been working together with Kya and the crew to bring the Ochilenes back to consciousness. Kya had pointed out that the best shot they had to restore the aliens’ consciousness was to try to emulate the alien ship’s atmospheric pressure and gravity. And so they did, but it wasn’t until hours later that Fain and the crew were able to find a dedicated room for the Ochilenes.

  It turned out that their atmospheric pressure was not so different from what humans were used to. But it was different enough that any human would lose consciousness after a few minutes of exposure and vice versa.

  Fain turned in his bed, hoping that the vibrations would go away, but they didn’t.

  “Kya?” Fain mumbled into his pillow. “Is something happening?”

  “May I remind you,” Kya said softly, “that it was you who set this alarm.”

  “Yeah, that’s true,” Fain said as he rubbed his eyes. “If I remember correctly, I said to wake me up as soon as we were able to communicate with them. Has that happened?”

  “As of five minutes ago,” Kya said. “I was given the Ochilenes Language Code, a Rosetta Stone of sorts. Each one of them carried their Language code with them—they came prepared. And we are now able to communicate with them through a translator I hastily put together. I will improve upon it shortly.”

  “I’m on my way,” Fain said as he jumped out of bed.

  It took Fain no longer than three minutes to get from his quarters to where the Ochilenes were near the medical bay. Kya was the only one there, and she was standing outside a glass wall that separated them from the Ochilenes’ room. Fain felt a slight increase in gravity as he neared the glass. There was a small round device attached to the glass; it was the translator Kya had made.

  “Captain Fain Jegga,” Kya said as she turned to Fain. “May I present to you Elenon Sirallannka, Fermens Itomal, and Iremostal Tallul. The Star Builders.”

  Although still bedridden, the Ochilenes all turned to Fain.

  “It’s our pleasure to meet you, Captain Fain Jegga,” Elenon said. “I am not sure if the decoding device we speak into is correct. Captain means the person in charge of this place in the galaxy.”

  “Perhaps not a place in the galaxy,” Fain said. “More like this vessel at this place and time. But it’s close enough.”

  “I see then,” Elenon said. “Is there anyone with more authority we can speak to? Perhaps the person in charge of the rock you live on?”

  “There is no such person,” Fain said. “There is no one person in charge of our planet.”

  “Very well then,” Elenon said. “Then you are the person we want to talk to. There’s no time to waste.”

  “I’m listening,” Fain said as he took a step closer to the glass.

  “We’ve come to help your small civilization,” Elenon said, trying to get up but failing. “I do apologize for not being able to stand and deliver this information properly. Our bodies seem to still be weak from the journey.”

  “The information is all I need,” Fain said. “There’s no need for formalities. So, what happened? Why did we find you adrift after you appeared in our solar system? High Earth orbit, I should say.”

  “Space on our side of the galaxy is heavily controlled by the Acram,” Elenon said.

  Fain noticed that the more he talked, the better the translator worked. Kya must be working hard to make it work properly.

  “Our civilization,” Elenon continued, “the Ochilenes, the great builders, is in direct negotiation to become an Acram subspecies. However, as soon as we heard that somehow a battle was won against the Acram battle fleet, the high elders began plotting to enable a rebellion that would go against the ceasefire and against the subspecies contract. Do you understand so far?”

  “Yes,” Fain said as he nodded once. “But how did you hear about our victory?”

  “News travels fast,” Elenon said. “Especially when it comes to the Acram. Many civilizations that have yet to be conquered, including our own, follow the Acram’s advance through the galaxy using probes.”

  Fain nodded.

  “Six ships,” Elenon said, “like the one you found us in, made the run towards Earth. Out of the six, we were the only ones that made it through the blockade. The price we paid was high.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Fain said.

  “Sorry?” Elenon asked. “By sorry, you mean you feel for our kind?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, don’t be sorry,” Elenon said. “Because if coming to your aid means liberating our people, we are ready to pay any price. We’ve come from far away, left our families, abandoned our lives, watched our friends die, and had our ship nearly destroyed. All for the sake of being here to try and better your odds. Even if it’s just slightly. Because you have done something grand, something we could have only dreamt of. You defeated the Acram battle fleet.”

  “Better our odds against the Golden Armada, you mean?” Fain asked somberly.

  “Yes, More ships than you can ever imagine are coming your way. More than you have ever known. A golden wall of destruction.”

  9

  Galactic Matters

  Saavan Celeospect, the highest-ranking leader of the Acram’s Golden Armada, made his way towards the great hall of Aisumer, the place where only the greatest of the military leaders and governing bodies of the Acram met.

  His official title was that of Noble. He was well respected down the Acram ranks and was often considered one of the greatest warriors still alive.

  He walked down the halls slowly, taking his time. He was early for the meeting, as he always was to any military event. The hallways of Aisumer were mostly open in all directions except for the floor below their feet. A protective but clear barrier shielded anyone that wandered the halls from the elements outside. The hallways were disconnected from the main structure, aside from a few smaller hallways that were the exception. The Acram didn’t mind walking more than necessary, as they hardly got to do so. They were proud of the beauty of the Acram home planet, Acrania, and all its moons, like the one Aisumer was located on.

  But not all was good with Saavan. He was getting tired of the endless war his civilization had declared on the galaxy. He felt guilty. He felt responsible for so much death and destruction. A lifetime of endless combat was beginning to take a toll on him.

  They, the leaders of the Acram, Saavan thought as he walked. They, the great ones, the elder ones, the leaders of the Acram world. Who are they to the galaxy? Who are we? Why must we be the ones to save the galaxy? And can you call it saving at all, at the current cost? An exorbitant amount of lives are being lost, destroyed, forgotten with every sector we conquer. Is this really the destiny of the Acram? Will this continue being our way of life? Who are these leaders who decide how our children will be raised, without play, without a life outside the military? No, no… This is not who we were meant to be. This was not meant to be our place in the galaxy.

  Anger and impotence filled Saavan’s body. He felt the rage consume him. He wanted things to change.

  Maeera, a ranking leader of the Acram army, turned into the same hallway he was walking in. She was one of the few who were soon to become Nobles,
and already she wielded the right to attend the meetings of war.

  “Early as always, Noble Saavan,” Maeera said as she waited for Saavan to walk by her. “Is everything alright? You seem a bit out of sorts. But then again, you are the highest Noble. Are you ready for today?”

  “Everything is as it should be,” Saavan said as they began walking together, trying to hide his emotions. Now his pace was normal, matching Maeera step by step. “As far as today goes, I don’t have much choice in the matter. When do we have a say in the matter? These meetings are held with complete disregard for our time.”

  “Don’t be that way, Noble Saavan,” Maeera said. “The elders have always known what’s best for the Acram, what’s best for our people. Look at how far we’ve come. We’ve conquered the galaxy as far as the builders’ homeworld. We are so close to achieving our goal. You are a Noble, the highest Noble. You should know this better than everyone else.”

  To have the rank of Noble was one of the highest achievements a planet-born Acram could dream about. It was next to impossible to receive a higher rank than Noble. The elders and the governing bodies were all chosen from birth from the same bloodline. It was also usual for them to live up to seven times longer than the average Acram.

  “There’s nothing noble about what we do,” Saavan said heavily. “We kill, we slaughter, we destroy worlds, we destroy civilizations, we conquer whoever is lucky enough to survive. What is noble about that?”

  “It might not be noble to them,” Maeera said with a more serious tone. “But it’s noble to our people—the great sacrifices a Noble makes throughout his lifetime to achieve absolute victory. A lifelong dedication to military perfection is viewed as noble to our people. The only people that should matter. In this galaxy and the next.”

  Saavan knew from the start that Maeera wouldn’t listen. He wouldn’t be getting anywhere with her. She was too loyal to the Acram cause. He knew that she was still aspiring to become a Noble, and now she was close to attaining it.