by DJ Morand
* * *
Outside the Quintar Prime System: Kodiak: Command
2972 ESD - Monday, October 5th 14:35 hours
“Flak that girl … er uh … woman.” Captain Abel Cain cursed as he maneuvered the Kodiak beyond the laser turrets of yet another Vulture BAA-C. The four ships in the immediate area around Captain Shade’s abandoned RAVEN Fighter had swooped in at the first sign of the Kodiak, just as Abel had feared. The URSA GS-I had a reputation with the EXOs. Abel and Zee had been tracking and hunting EXO ships for nearly fifteen years. Even with the modifications that should have classified the Kodiak as an URSA GS-II, it still had a reputation.
Similar to the EXOs, Abel and Zee took ships out, stripped them, and wiped the system computers. Early on, they had neglected the latter step, not realizing the ingenuity of the EXO pilots. In those first years Captain Abel Cain assumed the EXOs were mindless drones, only capable of receiving commands from the AI. However, something changed in the EXOs after his first few run-ins with them.
If he had not known better, he would of thought that the EXOs were evolving. He found the thought disconcerting and had even brought it up with Zee on occasion. Zee assured him that it was no longer a primary function of the AI. Due to the time it had spent on Quintar V, isolated from the rest of the Quintar Prime system, it had grown complacent and content in its position as dictator. Zee said that if the AI was inclined to evolve again it was likely due to Alek Vale’’s influence. This didn’t help to alleviate Abel’s worry. He had only spoken to Alek Vale once for any length of time and the man had tried to kill him.
“Zee! Shift the quantum plating again, they’re matching each other’s targeting patterns, and give me a tachyon burst on the fourth bird.”” Abel stared intently at his view screen as he felt the inertia shift along the port side of the ship. The quantum plating shifted to disrupt the EXO firing pattern. Almost without warning, a small burst of radiation followed on the tail end of the shift. Taking his cue, Captain Abel Cain dove the Kodiak into a starboard spiral cutting power to the port engine to slingshot the ship around. He then immediately powered up the engine again. If not for the numerous Transteel servers on his logistics deck, the ship wouldn’t have been able to recover from the maneuver. His mind was one with the ship, neutrally linked to both his ocular and cochlear implants as well as to his brain stem, granting him the ability to treat the ship like an extended limb.
He had worked out the various servers in the crew stations and linked them all to his nanite implants. However, in the state he was in - linked to ship as he was - he could only control the motion of the ship and the weaponry. Speed, Tactical, and Defense were left to his co-pilot. Zee’s physiology did not require the same implants as Abel and although Abel had similar nanites to Zee, the Quintarran was better suited to the tasks given.
Together the two were able to manipulate and maneuver the gunship to maximum effectiveness. They were a pair and an entire crew. Abel had designed the URSA GS-I to complement a skilled pilot and crew with a Quintarran helmsman - the first part of his betrayal in Admiral Shade’s estimation. At the time of his design the Humans and the Quintarrans were still at odds, with the majority of the population on Quintar V still under the influence of the AI.
“Zee, let’s give them a surprise. Drop another tachyon burst and let’s pull a Wounded Jay.” The term was known to Zee, but he was not happy about it. The tactic had worked with EXOs before and that is what was concerning. The EXOs had a hive-like mind - having been Quintarran prior to the change - and quickly adapted to tricks and maneuvers that had been tested before. It was one of the reasons they were so deadly.
Zee knew better than to question an order in the midst of combat and dropped the tachyon as instructed. As soon as it went off Abel shut off his aft engines and switched the port and starboard engines to separate exhausts. The result left the Kodiak spinning in an uncontrollable arc.
Sensing victory the EXOs moved in extending their docking claws to grasp the spinning ship and prepare their boarding procedure. The captain had another thought in mind as he unleashed the full arsenal of his laser turrets. The spin kept the Vultures from getting a solid entry point to his position and the lasers began to strike them at random, further confusing the enemy. “Zee, another tachyon!””
“This is the last Captain, I am not sure it will even be effective in scrambling their sensors this time, but we can give it a try.” Despite his misgivings Zee was enjoying himself immensely. There was nothing more he enjoyed than dismantling EXOs. While they were not precisely the AI he had been enslaved to, they were a physical representation on which he could vent his grievances.
The tachyons burst from the Kodiak again as Abel punched full power into his aft thrusters pinning Zee against the wall momentarily. The inertial dampeners were still active, but had little time to compensate for the daring maneuver. The ship went into a spiraling corkscrew as Captain Abel Cain struggled to reverse the port engine. With a half a second before they dove uncontrollably into one of the Vultures he was able to reverse the engine and right the ship. The maneuver worked and brought their forward cannon to bear.
“Full salvo Zee, take these flakking cyborg scum out.” Abel growled through gritted teeth.
“Right away sir!” Zee said with gusto, even raising his hands in a ‘V’. The forward cannon emitted a low hum and a beam of pure anti-matter collided with the first of the EXO ships. The beam bore a hole through it and right into the ship behind it. As the other two ships broke formation and tried to circle around the larger gunship, a full salvo of sixteen missiles arced out towards them. Banking hard to port both ships managed to avoid half the missiles as the other half took out their engines completely.
“Captain …” Zee began nervously, “They’re headed for us and have no means of altering their course.”
“Evasive tactics Zee, form up that forward shielding and bring the quantum plates around to shield the canopy. My last maneuver left the engines overheated; we’re a bit stuck for the moment until the engines cool.”
“Defensive shielding online, all power to forward emitters, quantum plates in 3 … 2 … 1, engaged!”
The impact was titanic, as both Vultures seemed to collide with the Kodiak at once. Even with the inertial dampeners and gravity emitters, both of them were tossed about. Zee toppled backwards and slammed hard against the bulk head, his neck snapping backward with enough force to slam the back of his skull against the ship wall. He staggered forward and nearly fell unconscious. He felt like he was swimming in molasses for a few moments. Abel rolled with the impact but cracked his mid-section against a quantum locked chair, which due to its nature, did not move and the Captain ended up sprawled across it.
Certain he had at least cracked a rib or two, Captain Abel Cain slowly untangled himself from the chair, wincing as he chuckled at the irony of it.
“Status Zee.” He barked through a fit of coughing. Definitely broke a rib, he thought.
“Having some trouble querying the … ah,” He staggered a moment before steadying himself. “I have re-established connection sir. Forward emitters are at seven percent, quantum plates are intact, but they are frozen. Flak!” Zee cursed. It was not something he was particularly prone to, but he felt it was warranted in this situation. “Airlock has been damaged, we are not compromised, but we won’t be docking any ships in space. We are going to need repairs Captain, and not repairs we can handle.”
“Flak.” Abel muttered as he slowly made his way back to his console, wincing with each step. “I think you and I are going to need repairs too. Status on the EXOs?”” Abel attempted to joke.
“Gone. Their cores blew after impact, whether that was intentional or not I cannot say. Shrapnel from the blast appears to be what damaged the airlock.”
“Alright. Zee, what about Echo?” Abel said, less concerned about any immediate threats.
“Scanning now Captain.” Zee’s expression did not change, not that it ever did when interfacing w
ith the computers, but Abel felt a faint sense of hope. ““She is alive Captain, barely. She only has a few minutes of oxygen left. If we’re going to extract her we will need to do so via EVA.”
“Flak, this cycle just keeps getting better. What’s her location? Are we close?”
“Mere meters Captain.”
“Get me a course. I’ll be suiting up.”
“Yes Captain.” Zee admired the man. He would never admit it to the Captain’s face, but he held a similar sentiment that most Quintarrans held for Abel Cain. Although, he still felt lucky enough to call him friend.
MERCURY FRINZ
Eden - Exodus Colony Alpha: Command Quarters
2972 ESD - Thursday, November 5th 03:31 hours
On the surface of an icy planet, in a run down and dilapidated starship, Lieutenant Colonel Mercury Frinz paced. The dank officer’s quarters gave little light and even less warmth, he paced with worry, but also to keep warm. A single desk sat in the center of the room, papers strewn about its surface. The throw rug he had obtained showed the wear of his boots; this day of pacing was not the first. He worried about the state of the planet, the people, and most of all the disturbing reports he was receiving.
Mercury sat at his desk when the holo-call came in. He disliked having to deal with the EXOs, but they kept him comfortable. The holo-display showed an image of a man transformed. Mercury had originally known him as Alek Vale. However, these days he went by the name EXO Prime.
"Mercury," the EXO Prime began, "I have a task for you."
Mercury stared at the display unable to hide his distaste, "What now?"
"Do not get flippant, you rule Eden at my whim."
"I apologize," Mercury said sheepishly. He was not sincere, "What do you need me to do?"
“There has been a battle, surveillance says that a ship will be heading towards Eden. I want you to detain the vessel. I will arrive later to collect it,” he said. The EXO Prime began to turn, then stopped. Speaking over his shoulder he said, ““The crew must remain alive.”
The holo-call ended and Mercury shuddered. He disliked working with EXOS. Mercury still felt he was a part of the overall Exodus Union, but he could not reconcile the utter stupidity of crashing the EXO shield, not to mention the trouble it was causing him now.
Whatever his thoughts about Abel Cain, the EXOs, or the Admiral, he still felt it was an unnecessary move. This would only further tighten the grip the EXOs had on Eden and so, for him, it was pure idiocy. Word had, of course, reached him when it reached the rest of the outlying colonies; too late to do anything about. Still, Mercury had made a place for himself on Eden with the EXOs as a sort of partner. If he was honest the deal he made enslaved him to the EXOs and sealed the fate of any Quintarrans on Eden. The Quintarrans’ fate was a small matter to him, but his own weighed heavily on his mind. He told himself that humanity would survive when the EXOs expanded beyond Eden, but his heart wasn’t in it. He thought about what had brought him here.
* * *
Mars - Spaceport: Exodus Launch Deck
2949 ESD - Saturday, January 4th 13:00 hours
"Help! We've the Praetor's son. He is in bad condition." The Praetor ruled on Mars. The comment drew him from the beauty of Talia Balker, the woman he had always hoped to marry. He turned his attention to the four men hauling what appeared to be a makeshift litter bearing the body of a young boy. The litter itself appeared to be a bundle of clothes tied hastily together. The left side of his body appeared severely burned and his arm hung at an awkward angle. Blood covered the pillow they had placed behind his head, which appeared as no more than a man's shirt or a coat balled up hastily.
"His father sent us ahead, you have to let us get him to the medical facilities on the ship." Mercury Frinz considered his clipboard for a moment, staring at the mangled body of a pre-teen boy. His heart went out to the child, but he feared the boy would not be on the list. He had a duty to uphold and if one was not on the list, one did not get passage on the ship.
"What's his name?" He knew everyone had been made aware of his specific manifest of passengers. There was limited space aboard a ship and everyone knew that most would not be boarding. Mercury had been given this detail because of his unwavering commitment to doing what he was told.
"Screw your manifest! This is the Praetor's son, if you won't let us through we'll make a way through." A burly man, nearly twice Mercury’s width, but standing at the same height, bellowed at the officer.
"There is no need for that," Mercury Frinz said hastily, his fear taking hold. "Men, take this boy to medical on the Exodus." Mercury looked at the poor boy and turned back to the man he’d been speaking with, “What’s his name?”
“Abel. Abel Cain.” The burly man said.
Mercury nodded and checked his clipboard; no Abel, no Cain. He sighed and hoped that no one would notice he had allowed a non-loyal aboard the Exodus. He knew he had broken protocol and it tore at him.
* * *
Eden - Exodus Colony Alpha: Command Quarters
2972 ESD - Thursday, November 5th 03:35 hours
Mercury had never wanted a position of military power. He had been content to be a guard shuffling traffic. However, as is the case, life thrust power upon him. He supposed he had a knack for leadership. He had barely been an adult when he helped people aboard the Exodus in the initial launch from Mars. If he had known then that the Exodus Fleet would become a shadow of the Earth Coalition and the Outer Mars Federation he would have stayed put. He certainly wouldn’t have worried about saving some kid from Mars’ fate. Mercury laid the fate of his life at the feet of Abel Cain. The boy’s admittance to the Exodus was his first mistake, a mistake he feared would come back to bite him.
The decision did come back to bite him. He became a pariah aboard the Exodus moments after they took off. Only Talia Balker had shown him any interest, but of course she showed everyone interest at the time. The officers aboard the colony ship had made fun of him, and let him know how weak they thought he was.
He regretted letting Abel Cain aboard the Exodus then, and he regretted it now. Mercury was the last of the Exodus officers to survive the trip to Eden, and thus his title was somewhat of a field promotion. The Lt. Colonel continued to pace around his office. He had been hearing disturbing rumors of EXO expansion after the shield had been blown. He figured that the leaders of the EFNF would have made sure their plan was going to work before implementing it, but common sense and military training do not always coincide; corrupt men follow the orders of other corrupt men.
The aftermath of the Exodus’ split from the EFNF was nearly the end for the people of the colony ship. If it had not been for Mercury and others banding together and forming a society on the planet they called Eden, the reality of their situation would have slain them all. The terraforming machines aboard the Exodus had been ancient when they launched and another decade after the flight from the Sol System did the machines little good.
They did their job, but a few short years later the machines failed. They stopped drawing in the radiation to heat the planet. Soon they had nothing but ruin when the planet entered an irregular orbit. Mercury did not believe it was an irregular orbit. Without the terraforming needles to keep the planet habitable, Eden soon became a frozen hell. The Quintarrans had claimed not to know of the planet’s irregular orbit. Mercury did not believe them, it was part of the reason he gave them up.
The people of Eden were desperate and so, when the EXOs came, they had surrendered. Mercury made a deal with the EXOs and offered to turn over the Quintarrans to them in exchange for peace. Humanity’s dark side sprang forth when faced with the decision to live or die, and the people readily gave up their Quintarran counterparts.
Mercury watched with a coldness in his heart as it happened. The icy nature of Eden had seeped into him so deep, he did not recognize himself. He was no longer the hero who saved people from death on Mars. That acceptance and the assistance of the EXOs granted him prosperity. With the hel
p of the EXOs, Mercury built shelters and garnered resources for the people. Eden was still a meager planet barely on the edge of survival, but it was surviving.
His supplies still came from the inner planets, even since the Exodus and her crew decided to split from the EFNF. The Exodus Fleet Naval Force experienced several schisms over the years, some deciding to colonize other planets, and others eking out an existence traveling between them. Those traveling between planets supplied Eden with the goods they needed.
Due to the harsh nature of the planet some of those ships also bolstered the population on Eden. The planet under Mercury’s charge had become something of a starship graveyard. The number of derelict ships dotting the surface had either frozen over, or had been swarmed by the locals.
Now he was receiving reports of vessels being attacked en-route between planets and receiving calls at all hours from the EXO Prime. It was enough to concern him. Mercury had an idea of who was doing the attacking. His particular history with the EFNF gave him an edge over other spacers in the Quintar Prime system, but ultimately he was at the mercy of the EFNF and the EXOs.
He was caught between the two powers and needed to make nice with both. This led to a sort of servitude towards the EXOs and a sort of spy role to the EFNF. He disliked his position immensely, but he managed to survive. To ensure his survival he had given up the Quintarrans to the EXOs, and put people in place to control the locals. The EFNF had all but abandoned Eden, but they would truly do so if their ships continued to be sequestered or outright stolen by the populace. Mercury needed those supplies and the only thing keeping those supplies coming was a forced obligation by the EFNF. If the people managed to steal or wreck more ships, that obligation would be seen as met; he couldn’t have that.