by Luigi Robles
“Got it.”
Fain began to head towards the machine planet, causing a frenzy amongst the Immortals. The machines around Sodenia became desperate, increasing their beam attacks. Some went as far as crashing into Sodenia’s shield on purpose.
“We got them all with five seconds to spare.”
“Hope this works,” Fain said, feeling the trace of a smile on his face.
Seconds later, all incoming fire stopped as the Immortals became paralyzed, drifting in space without the slightest suggestion of self-control. Sodenia also stopped firing for the first time since they had entered the machine territory.
“Setting the drones to search and destroy.” Sodenia’s drones swarmed out into the battlefield like a pack of starving wolves.
It didn’t take much from one of the drones to destroy an Immortal. Without their full functions, their bodies were just ordinary machines. The so-called machine Immortals were falling by the hundreds.
“Is it safe to say that the drones can take care of them?” Fain asked.
“That’s what it looks like. If the variables don’t change, the drones will be done with the swarm of Immortals in just a few minutes. It will take the Immortals quite a lot of work just to get rid of one of those devices, and I’m saying that from personal experience.”
Fain’s heart began beating hard once again, and his breathing intensified. He knew that victory was within his grasp, but to get there, one more thing had to happen, and that was to destroy the machine planet.
Sodenia felt aggressive and sure of its every movement, with power to spare. The Herrion message was true to its every word: the ship had been made for this, to go up against the Immortals and win. As Fain moved the ship slowly towards the machine planet, its power became more obvious; it was as if it roared. At the bow of the ship, on each side of the Fate cannons, jets of energy erupted into space.
“And is that normal?” Fain asked.
“The Fate cannons have accumulated an abnormally large amount of energy; the release valves are operating at capacity.”
“Where is all of this coming from?”
“Dormant systems have been activating since we got here. It’s all new to me also.”
“Sodenia is ready, and I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Are you?”
“Got all weapons ready, with the target locked on.”
The machine planet seemed to be aware of what was happening, and its rotating satellites expanded once again, but this time they began rotating even faster. As for the last one of their larger ships, it repositioned itself right in front of the planet.
Fain knew that there was no conventional way to break the planet’s warp forcefield. If the Fate cannons weren’t able to do the job before, there was little chance that they would be able to do it now, despite their overflow of power. He had one option left, and that was setting Sodenia’s own warp bubble on a collision course with the machine planet. He was stepping into the realm of theoretical physics, but he saw no other way out of this. It would either be them or the machines. But the equation this time would be quite simple. If the Alcubierre FTL drive on board formed a strong enough space-bending bubble, it could, in fact, penetrate the planet’s own but disappear in a mere Planck, the smallest measurement of length with any meaning. This would effectively leave Sodenia inside the machine planet’s bubble and with nowhere to go unless he managed to destroy the planet, but even then, there was no telling what could happen. And who knew what kind of weapons or surprises the machine planet had in store for them.
If the Alcubierre bubble’s negative energy was the same as the machine planet’s, the collision would result in a zero-sum equation, possibly destroying the lesser mass in the process. Things just got worse from there. Because if Sodenia’s warp bubble ended up being less than the planet’s, it would jolt the ship and have a disastrous effect, possibly sending the ship on an extreme course, assuming it survived the bounce.
“We need to pierce their space warp,” Fain said. “To do that, we’ll use our own FTL drive.”
“Analyzing the possibilities.”
Fain closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself. He felt the ship, its every component, its every movement as he mentally went over every button, every lever, every form of control in the command center. But his moment of calmness was not long-lived, as Kya interrupted.
“We have a large horde of Immortals and their ships materializing around the planet. The numbers are in the thousands.”
Fain wasted no time. He accelerated towards the machine planet at max speed with the ship’s rear engines. Sodenia was traveling so fast that before they knew it, the planet was already in front of them.
“Point five should be more than enough,” Kya said hurriedly.
Fain instantly knew what that meant; it would only take point five the speed of light to pierce the planet’s bubble. Using his new converted controls, he activated the FTL drive. After that, he only saw flashing lights everywhere as Sodenia shook violently. But once the light receded, he saw that it had worked. Sodenia was now approaching the machine planet within the satellites at the same speed as it had been approaching prior to using the FTL drive.
“The Alcubierre drive is badly damaged,” Kya said.
“Hopefully we won’t need it anymore.”
It looked like the machine planet began charging several thousand energy beams as soon as Sodenia broke its space warp. And without the space warp, other machines were rapidly closing in on them. Some even managed to fire and land shots on Sodenia, powerful shots. But it was already too late for the machines; Fain had made it beyond point-blank range, and the Fate cannons were more than primed.
“Kya… It was an absolute pleasure going on this journey with you. Thank you for everything you did for humanity, and everything you did for me.”
“Fain. Thank you for letting me feel the pleasures of being alive, and for letting me feel what it’s like to be human.”
“Fire the Fate cannons. Let’s give it everything we’ve got.”
The Fate cannons erupted. Their power reverberated through the ship, their light obliterating his view, turning everything around him into a blur of yellow and red. The true power of the Herrion, the true power of humanity, had been unleashed.
Sodenia’s hull screeched and reverberated violently as feedback from the point-blank blast made its way back to the ship. The Fate cannons were pummeling the machine planet with the power of what had to be a thousand stars. Warning signs appeared all around Fain, but instead of letting off, he pushed the ship even further.
“It was one hell of an adventure,” Fain said as he kept his foot on the acceleration pedal, trying to prevent the ship from veering off course.
“Thank you for letting me come with you. Thank you for everything.”
Epilogue
The Iveria moved through the battlefield, pushing aside the lifeless machines that floated in its path while at the same time recovering the bodies of their fallen comrades. Saavan surveyed the battlefield before letting the fleet break formation. Nearly half of the fleet had been destroyed in what would go down in history as the galaxy’s final stand. It had been a devastating loss, but an enormous win for the nearby civilizations that otherwise would have been wiped out of existence.
Saavan and Galeah both stood in front of the Iveria’s main view screen, and for the first time since the battle with the Immortals began, Galeah was task-less. Not because she didn’t have anything to do, but because Saavan wanted to share the moment with her, as grim as the moment seemed to be. It was a sad victory, but a victory nonetheless.
The consequences of the war were real, and Saavan wasn’t immune to feelings. He felt the hole in his chest get bigger and heavier as he took in the bodies of those brave warriors floating around in space. Galeah also looked saddened by the situation.
“So many of them,” Galeah managed. “So many of us.”
“This is the dark reality of war. Too often, t
he brave end up paying the ultimate price so that others can live on. The only comfort I can offer them now is that they will be remembered as heroes. A petty, limited, meaningless action compared to the extraordinary gift they’ve given us. Who knows where we’d be if it wasn’t for those who did not hesitate, those who followed orders, those who wanted a better ending for their homeworlds? Perhaps we’d be floating in space as well.”
Saavan and Galeah stood quiet for a moment.
“For now,” Saavan said without looking away from the battlefield, “it looks like the humans have done it. They’ve destroyed the mechanical beast, the death bringer of the galaxy.”
“But at what cost? I cannot begin to imagine.”
“We may find out someday. But I can’t comprehend any sort of victory against these monsters without being willing to sacrifice it all. That may have been the case for Captain Fain Jegga. He had the true heart of a warrior. He will be remembered in our history amongst the highest of Nobles. I entrust that you will make sure that happens.”
“I’ll see to it that it does,” Galeah said as she nodded slowly.
“Prepare five of our fastest ships, along with an away crew, for a long-term mission.”
“Yes, Noble. When would you like it ready?”
“We’re leaving once we finish crossing the battlefield. The crew that leaves with me will be destined for greatness.”
Galeah turned to open a new task screen when she was interrupted by Saavan.
“Galeah, share this moment with me. There is no hurry any longer.”
Galeah abandoned the window she had nearly opened.
“Noble, if you would be so kind as to enlighten me.”
“What is it that you’re confused about?”
“Where are you going? What will happen to the fleet?”
“I’ll be leaving for the machine territory, to find out with my own eyes what happened and if we’re truly safe to move on as a species.”
“Why not just ask the humans? Surely they would know about the events that have transpired.”
“They might or they might not. Who knows what the terms of engagement were? Humans have been through an unquantifiable amount of pain and suffering thanks to galactic matters. Their fiery hearts need time to rest. Perhaps, if enough time passes, they will be able to find a way to forgive us for the harm we brought to their marvelous world. Make no mistake, Galeah: the Acram as a race are in their debt, as well as every other biological organism in the galaxy. Without the unsung alliance we managed to formed, we wouldn’t be standing here.”
“I understand,” Galeah said solemnly. “What about the fleet?”
“You will be ascended to the rank of High Noble. I trust that will give you leverage enough to take care of the fleet.”
Galeah instantly kneeled and bowed her head. “I’m unworthy of such high honor. Forgive me, highest of Nobles; I cannot accept.”
“Galeah, Galeah,” Saavan said as he sighed. “A true sign of a Noble… Please accept your new position wholly, for I am counting on you.” Saavan bent down to pick Galeah up. “I am sure about my decision. Please do not make me ask again.”
“Noble Saavan…” Galeah said as she stood up together with Saavan.
“Make no mistake, Galeah. I will do whatever is necessary to protect Acrania and our kin. There are many within our ranks and within the high ranks of the Acram that still only crave power. We mustn’t let our kin fall back into their old ways. A new era will come to Acrania, and you will be the one to bring it to light.”
Galeah nodded as Saavan let go of her and turned back to the main view screen.
“I must admit,” Galeah said as she too turned to face the battlefield, “I’m thoroughly overwhelmed.”
“As you should be. Your journey, unlike mine, is about to begin. I will be back, once I ensure that we are safe. Perhaps I can finally live a peaceful life until the end of my days.”
“I would like nothing more, highest of Nobles.”
“Tell a tale of victory. Disassemble the fleet, send the subspecies back to their homeworlds. I will contact the rest of the Nobles and inform them about my decision before I leave, just in case any one of them has a problem with it. I will personally make sure that they don’t.”
“Thank you, highest of Nobles.”
“Beware. There will be those who will oppose you, those who will plot against you, those who will do anything in their power to take what is yours, and there will be those who want you dead. You must be strong and never waver. Our kin will depend on you to guide them and protect them.”
“Acrania will have a peaceful future. I will see to it that it happens.”
Alexander Green had just finished talking to August about the events that had transpired. He walked down the corridors of the ESAF facility on Soden Island with a heavy heart. He walked towards Truman’s office. It wasn’t a good feeling, knowing that Fain and Kya had left the rest of the fleet behind in order to try and beat the machines. He didn’t know what to make of the situation, and he partially blamed himself for it. He had always known there was a possibility Fain would leave on his own to enter the machine territory. He had picked up the hints along the way and had even encouraged him.
Well, he hadn’t encouraged Fain directly to go to the machine territory on his own. He had only mentioned to Fain that in the end, the decision should be his own. That only he knew what he could do. He now half-regretted those words. Words that he wouldn’t have regretted if Fain and Kya had made it back in one piece.
The only consolation Alex had was firmly knowing that Fain would only have done that as an absolute last resort.
He let out a pained sighed right before knocking on Truman’s door three times.
“Come in,” a voice muttered from behind the doors.
“How is the hellfire coming along?” Alex asked as he pulled out a seat from Truman’s desk. Deflated, he leaned back on the chair and took off his hat, placing it on top of Truman’s desk.
Normally Truman would jokingly complain about Alex’s lack of discipline and basic manners. But these were no times for jokes. The mood in the room was somber and dark.
“Oh, it’s coming down,” Truman said as he scratched his five o’clock shadow. “To say that the politicians want to take control of ESAF would be an understatement. Now, thanks to what’s happened, they have all the ammunition they need to persuade the few people that are left on our side and possibly sway the public’s opinion on ESAF. I don’t see how we’re going to get out of this one, to be honest. But we’ll keep trying. There’s still some fight left in me. To surrender ESAF to the politicians would have disastrous consequences.”
“Yep, but not having the fleet’s flagship return together with the rest of the fleet is going to put us in a tough spot. Regardless of it being the reason they are alive.”
“Do you think he actually did it?”
“I don’t know for sure. But it seems that way. Michael told us that the ISCO has gotten several reports from our off-world allies of the Immortals stopping their attack mid-battle. I desperately want to believe that they did it. That young man only knew how to win. Even if he had to sacrifice everything in the process.”
There was a moment of silence between the two of them.
“And how are the rest of the crew holding up?” Truman asked, letting out a deep breath.
“They aren’t doing too good. Some are angry, some are in distress, and some are devastated. It’s going to take a lot to patch this up. Out of all of them, Pycca and August seem to have been hit the hardest.”
“Let them know that they can have as much leave time as they need.”
Alex nodded.
“Although,” Truman continued, “as much as we need Pycca to figure out a way to track down what actually happened to Fain, Kya and Sodenia, all of that can wait. It doesn’t look like we’re in any immediate danger.”
“I agree.”
“There will be no funeral, no anything. Sodenia’
s official status, along with Fain’s and Kya’s, will be missing in action until proven otherwise.”
Alex nodded.
“A good choice,” Alex said.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions just yet.”
“I’m with you on that,” Alex said as he began to get up. “As small as it may be, there’s still hope. Well, I guess I’ll get going.”
“One second,” Truman said.
Alex sat back down hesitantly.
“Don’t blame yourself,” Truman said. “Even if you had something to do with this, in the end, it was his decision and his decision alone. But thanks to his actions, humanity will live on. Something we will never forget. We won’t forget about them. You did the best you could, and that’s all we needed.”
“Thank you, sir,” Alex said as he got up. “I really needed to hear that.”
“You know,” Truman said as he got up as well, “it really bothers me when you call me sir. I think I should be the one calling you that. I still don’t know why you didn’t accept your promotion all those years ago, back in the Clearer Water days. By now you could have been my senior.”
“The answer is quite simple,” Alex said with a smirk as he put his hat back on. “First, I’ve never been one for politics, and second, and perhaps most importantly, my place is with the crew of Sodenia.”
“Thank you for all you’ve done,” Truman said as he saluted Alex firmly.
Alex saluted back and began walking out, fearing that he might end up tearing up.
As he walked down the long hallways and back into his office, he thought about the many roles Sodenia had played in the history of humanity. From the key that unlocked an entire galaxy filled with life, to a way to harvest untold and unseen technologies not previously known to humankind, to a vessel that would keep humanity going even if there was no more planet to call home.
Sodenia, wherever she was, had stood as a symbol of hope for humanity.