by Chris Burton
“My Queen. Are you well?”
“You already know the answer to that, Safrec. You are late.”
“A small matter of detecting the missing Alpha forces on the ground my Queen. I am confident we may have found them.”
“A slightly contradictory statement Safrec. You either have or you have not?”
“We should have this confirmed shortly. In any event my commanders are actively searching for hidden forces both on the ground and in the air. You do not look well my Queen?”
“I am fine. The pressure of knowing my Kronan is failing in his quest to locate Alpha’s fleet is affecting me. You are failing me Safrec. You must find Alpha’s fleet and destroy them.”
“I am not failing you my Queen. We are redoubling our efforts to seek out Alpha. It is critical we do so as more and more of our people are suffering. The relief we are providing them is insufficient.”
“Then you will have to increase the numbers Safrec. Tell Roslyn you need two hundred million humans in the next batch and bring the date forward. We need relief now, to stem this increase in the disease.”
Safrec thought deeply for a few moments before responding. The Queen looked impatient; yet more evidence she was in decline.
“We need to keep them in check. To increase the numbers on the HSL list would be deeply unpopular.”
“That is your job, Safrec.”
The Queen’s sharp retort took Safrec by surprise.
“Yes, of course, my Queen. I will look at ways to increase the numbers. Since you are now infected would you like me to arrange for a human to be made ready for you?”
“Why would I need that?”
“I am sorry, my Queen; but it is clear you are suffering from the early stages of the disease’s advanced state. You are very strong; a human sacrifice would bring you back to full health at a time when we need you most.”
“If I am suffering, why have you not offered yourself to me as you usually do? Our joining would make me strong again?”
She is toying with me, he thought. She knows I would not touch her now.
“Yes, Safrec; I am damaged and eventually I will die…but not for a long time. Your joining with me would be totally illogical if you seek a realm of power that is enduring.”
“I am the Kronan and your chosen one. I am sworn to protect you, to stand by your side, and—if asked to be with you—I would not fail in my responsibility and I would not want to.”
“Relax. I still do not want or need you. Your responsibilities lie elsewhere. I have another who is the object of my affection.”
Safrec felt anger now. Yes, he did not want her now. If she was going to die, it was better that it was fast. He would start to woo the other Queen caste females in waiting. One of them would soon rise to become Queen. Yet, if he did not have her, it was wrong that someone else did; especially a Malchian. He would kill Sorgan first, before allowing him to stand by her side.
“You of course refer to Sorgan. He is a long way from here. He cannot protect you and help you like I can and as a non caste Malchian; he has no birth right. You must at least let me find you a human for you to feed on. We need a strong Queen to rule us in difficult times.”
“No Safrec I will find my own human.”
“Ah, but of course you already have one. Carla Stevenson, the mate of Jake Carter, the killer of Navalion and of Morvalt. You are obviously feeding from her. Perhaps you need to finish her off…or are you keeping her as bait to lure the killer to your sanctuary, so you can take him?”
“No. Carla Stevenson is my contact with Alpha—nothing more. But she is valuable and I would not harm her. Jake Carter does not need to be lured to this chamber. He knows he is coming and will be here.”
“Where you will kill him?”
“No. Don’t be so one dimensional, Safrec and do not concern yourself further with Carla Stevenson or Jake Carter…I know you are already considering who might replace me and that it might be in your best interest for this to happen sooner rather than later; but please be assured. You will not defeat me.”
Safrec was positioning himself now. He could tell she no longer had the power to enter his mind, although he could not enter hers. If he was careful, he could prolong Trieste’s life for an extended time and effectively rule by substitution. There was historical precedent. To achieve this he needed to keep her on side and her Malchian lover away. Could he compromise his own position going forward by giving himself to this Queen? He needed to take a mistress from the Queen caste females in waiting. If he chose wisely and influenced the matter, the new Queen of his choice would come to the fore and he could become her chosen one too. There was much to do, but first he had to gain Trieste’s affection.
“My Queen. It actually serves both my purpose and yours for us to be together. I know you will always have Sorgan as your partner, but officially we could still be together and I could give myself to you and give you much needed strength. I think you need to consider your options wisely.”
Trieste was silent for an extended period before she replied, “I will not give you the satisfaction of publicly stating that we are as one. I will allow you to take me just once, in order for my strength levels to improve; but then my affections will remain with Sorgan, both privately and otherwise. You will agree to keep our actions private and continue your role as Kronan and Governor of Earth. In return I will support you and I will allow your recommendation for the next Queen to influence my decision. I can offer nothing more.”
It was Safrec’s turn to pause now and consider his options. Trieste was promising much but giving little. He could mate with the Queen, but just once and his chosen Mistress may then become Queen, when Trieste died. But her affection towards Sorgan was the main obstacle. If he was removed, the Queen would feel more compelled to stay with Safrec and make their coming together official. There were risks to this strategy, but to do nothing was dangerous. The Queen would distance herself from her Kronan and Safrec’s support and influence would dwindle and right now, that was not an option. He had no choice but to accept Trieste’s proposal.
“Very well, my Queen. I hope, once we have been together, you might reconsider my official capacity and the endurance of our relationship. If you are still in agreement I will lie with you.”
“Of course, Safrec. We will go to my chamber now. Please be assured my stance on this matter stands.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Antirillium
The radiation extraction process was underway. Two weeks after the Malchian Cruiser battle, the first of the support team vessels joined the Halo 7 at the Rymanian Abyss. The extraction teams quickly positioned themselves to commence the process of collecting, storing and weaponizing the Antirillium radiation. The process had been well-rehearsed; the storage capsules designed and manufactured to precise terms. The teams were moved to the second part of the process—the integration with the weapon.
Jake Carter was on the flight deck and had just managed the last of the new batch of Rapiers to board the Halo 7 and birth in the now rejuvenated main hanger bay. The new CAG Lieutenant Commander Rogers stepped down from his Rapier 7, as Jake went to greet him.
“You must be Lieutenant Carter, the Temp CAG. You can return to your other duties now, Lieutenant. I am assuming CAG command.”
“Actually its Lieutenant Commander Carter and no the official hand over will not take place until you have been cleared through security and the XO.”
“Okay…I apologize; you must be acting up. Okay, I will hold off the official hand over. Just so we are clear—this is now my deck and you are just another pilot.”
Jake tried hard not to let his anger show. This guy is hard work.
“I am sorry to keep correcting you, Mister Rogers, but I am not acting up. I am the ships bridge commander and am fully CAG qualified. You have been posted
here, because I am required on the bridge. Furthermore, I have spent the last two weeks getting this hanger deck back into operation. I will not hand over until I am absolutely satisfied you are competent enough to hold the CAG position.”
The CAG replacement said nothing further and allowed Jake to escort him to the debriefing room. Jake was about to take his final debriefing session and he intended to remind the new CAG, that the CAG command was still his.
All twenty-two new pilots were seated and Jake moved to the rostrum at the front of the crowded briefing room. This had been the last section of the Hanger Bay to be rebuilt. The white paneled walls showing their appreciation for their first official use.
“Thank you everyone. I’ll keep this brief as I know you have had a long journey. This is the debrief for the sortie from Alpha Fleet Command in the Styros Cluster to the Halo 7, part of the Radiation Extraction task force in the Rymanian Abyss. There are no significant issues to report and all vessels are accounted for. We are currently in a state of amber alert, following the attack from a Kryl cruiser two weeks ago…which is the reason why you guys are here as replacements for those lost in that battle.”
Jake looked at the CAG to ensure he had his attention before speaking further.
“Lieutenant Commander Rogers will assume CAG command in due course and he will integrate you into the rota schedules. Once you have cleared security, you will be allocated quarters. You will remain non-operational for twenty-four hours, unless the alert status changes. Get yourselves settled in, familiarize yourself with the Halo 7 and get some rest.”
Jake turned around to check that the CPO team had arrived to process security
“Okay…before we close. Any issues that we should know about?”
Jake was not surprised to see that Rogers held his hand up.
“Mister Rogers. What did you want to say?”
“May I approach the front?”
“Of course…but just a reminder that these pilots are tired. This need not be a long process.”
The CAG elect approached the rostrum and Jake stood aside.
“I just want to thank the outgoing CAG for his debriefing and support and to add a few words of my own…although obviously not everybody is here. Mister Carter is there any way we can get the active pilots in here too. I can address everybody together then?”
Jake stood his ground. Rogers was not going to usurp his position until it was his time.
“No, Mister Rogers. This is a debrief for the incumbent pilots who have just arrived. You will have plenty of time for team meetings once you are operational. Let’s keep it brief and then the CPO team can get on with your clearance.”
Rogers shrugged his shoulders and continued. “Very well, I can address the active pilots later. Gentlemen, Ladies. The Halo 7 is one of the most important vessels in the fleet and for now she heads up this task force. We will therefore play a very active part in the security of the extraction team and an even greater one, when we return to Earth. As your new CAG, I will ensure best practice and will jump on any inconsistency or issue. If you don’t carry your weight you will be out.”
The Chief Petty Officer looked impatient and Jake decided to intervene again.”I am sure these words are very important, but they can wait. Let’s get everyone rested. Mister Rogers…I am closing the debrief unless there are any other issues.”
Jake looked around and at Lieutenant Commander Rogers. Content that the process was complete he handed the rostrum to the CPO and stood down.
* * * *
“Clearly we need to extract faster. At this rate it will take us months to complete this task.”
John Arnold was the architect. He was the man responsible for interpreting the Chief Scientists blueprints and turning them into a workable and safe storage device and then deploying to the most appropriate vessel for discharge. It had not been an easy task.
A third generation Alpha Science Officer, Arnold graduated from The Alpha Science Academy in Cape Town, before serving as a Junior Science Officer aboard a plethora of C class cruisers. He was promoted quickly through the ranks and was now a three star commander. Although he did not know it, he was the most senior science officer in Alpha.
Right now ne needed to know why extraction was taking so long.
“We are just following the process, sir. The safety protocols are paramount.”
“I know Lieutenant I agreed them. We are seventy –two hours into extraction. We should have extracted and stored over one hundred and fifty pods. Yet only sixty-eight have been done. Something is holding the process up.”
“The first twenty-four hours were slow as we got up to speed, sir. I think we are now clearing one pod every forty-five minutes. If we could bring the extraction vessels in a little nearer, that would help.”
“That is a strict no-no. Too close and the extraction crew are put at risk from explosion, but forty-five minutes is way to slow. It will take ten days of additional processing at that rate and we are tasked with achieving this inside three weeks. We need to reduce the extraction per pod to under thirty minutes. How are you connecting the pods up?”
“As per plan. The extraction hoses are channeled inside the Eagle’s main cargo bay to the operating benches, where they are funneled into a pod. This is a three man process. We are using the clamp mechanism to hold the pod and the hose together and ambient heat to force the gas and radiation into the pod. The pod then does the rest; i.e. removes the gases to an outside chamber connected with a one way valve.”
“Why three men? I think we proposed two.”
“One to hold the hose, one to control the pod controls, and a third to monitor the whole process. We could drop to two, but there is little point as we cannot prepare a second pod until the first is secured.”
Arnold sighed. The extraction process was going as planned. It was just taking too long. The problem was establishing the correct ambient temperature surrounding the hose to force the gas to pass into the pod. Surely they were missing something? The whole process was carried out in a clear plastic tent, with the two operators using mechanized crane clamps to carry out their tasks. No human contact was allowed to prevent contamination or leakage. To control the temperature was the hardest part and this required seemingly different temperature levels for each batch, depending on the ratio of gas to radiation and the make up of the gaseous mixture itself, which varied per sample. It was just taking a lot longer than anticipated and Arnold was not sure there was anything they could do to speed the process up.
The munitions process was working well though. As each pod was completed, it was transported to the rear bay of the shuttle where two men would load the pod into a shell, again using mechanical cranes within a clear tented environment. The pods were designed to fit snugly into the shells, meaning the process was fast and efficient. The weapons were then delivered to a third chamber which ran parallel to the other two, where the shells were stored. From here, they would be distributed to the weapons holds of the various Alpha cruisers, who would deliver them to the Kryl fleet, either by Teutonic or Tiger missile or via a plasma discharge spread over a wide area.
“Okay. Let’s just get better at it. We need to keep the concentration levels up, so let’s take a break at the end of two hours and change the crew around every six. We need to work around the clock and try to get that time down. I will speak to the command team, but I believe we are doing all we can at the moment.”
* * * *
“Ah come in Jake. I understand the new CAG is now operational?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. In which case can you return to your full bridge command rota as discussed? Did everything go well with the exchange?”
“Yes…but the new CAG is a bit full of himself, sir. He won’t go down well with the pilots, if he carries on…”
“Probably just nerves.
Lieutenant Commander Rogers knows his stuff. He should be an excellent replacement for Obeya.”
Jake stared at the XO. He still did not like him nor did he trust him and he knew the XO felt the same about him. The new CAG was one of Commander Huber’s own men and he was hardly going to agree with Jake’s interpretation of events. But this chapter of his tour aboard the Halo 7 was over and tomorrow morning he would be back in the exec chair and third in command.
The Halo 7 was tasked with leading the security of the mini task force, while the Eagles and their extraction teams carried out their work. There was no apparent threat and while the command team were on the look out for enemy vessels, nothing had shown up on either short or long range scans. The perceived wisdom was that the damaged Malchian cruiser had gone, probably back to Earth. This presented its own difficulties, as they would now have more than a hint of what Alpha was up to.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Admiral Hoskins
It had a nice ring to it, even if it was only in an acting capacity. Jonathan Hoskins had achieved his lifetime ambition and was at the top of the tree. Not that now was a time for celebration. The lifeless frozen body of his beloved Obeya was on route to the Styros Cluster and he would soon take joint command of the most important military invasion in Earth’s history.
The decision to transport the tryplasmic pod, containing Obeya’s frozen body was taken jointly by the Accura Chief medical Officer and Jonathan Hoskins. The Halo 7’s medical chief had objected at first, but deferred to the judgment of her medical lead, when he assured her that his facilities would provide Obeya with the best chance of survival. Now, the medical shuttle was just forty-eight hours away.
He did not want to see her…not in that state. But, how could he not see her? If she didn’t make it, this would be the last chance to see her alive…even though strictly speaking she wasn’t.
Hoskins’s thought process was interrupted by his comm.link lapel. It was Admiral Martin.