What Chloe didn’t know about were all the ships Earth had built. The Earth fleet was divided into two groups, battleships and science ships. The first ship was the Enterprise, which was more of a hybrid battle and science ship. Its purpose was to prove that humanity was capable of shipbuilding and traveling to other worlds. The real battleships came shortly afterward. The flagship of the Earth navy was ESV Sun Tzu. And then came the ESV Wilfrid Laurier, ESV John F. Kennedy, ESV Benjamin Franklin, ESV Shaka Zulu, and the newest ship in the fleet, ESV Winston Churchill. ESV Barack Obama was currently under construction.
None of the science ships were in the solar system; they were all launched into deep space to lay claim to worlds neither the Radiance Union nor the Hashmedai Empire had. ESRS Carl Sagan was traveling to Sirius, ESRS Nikola Tesla to Luhman 16, ESRS Stephen Hawking to Wolf 359, and ESRS Freeman Dyson to Lalande 21185.
“You done with that thing?” Sarah bellowed from her top bunk.
I suppose I can browse more content later, Chloe thought and shut down the holo pad. “Yeah, I’m done.”
“First day back and you’re already looking for Wi-Fi.”
“Just wanted to see what we’ve missed during the last twenty-two years.” Chloe said as she lay back on her bottom bunk.
“Anything on Mom and Dad?”
Chloe sighed; she briefly saw an image during her search tilted “East Coast Wasteland,” depicting an aerial shot of a glassy valley next to the Atlantic Ocean. Nobody survived the assault on New York City. I need to stop denying their fate, she told herself.
“Major Vaughan, please report to the bridge,” Xavier transmitted over Chloe’s communication earpiece.
So much for a quick nap. Chloe tapped her earpiece and replied, “On my way.”
… … …
The bridge of the Winston Churchill was partially staffed by the time Chloe floated in via the main central corridor. The doors slid open, revealing a setting illumined by lights of several holographic windows, displaying information regarding the ship’s status, and the situation outside the ship. Directly in the center was an enormous holographic projection of Earth, clearly displaying the locations of all ships, defense platforms, satellites, and space stations in orbit. Around that hologram was a ring-shaped computer terminal for bridge crew to use, in order to interact with that hologram. Up front were the main helm controls, another holographic display that resembled a heads-up display (HUD). Surrounding everything else were computer workstations with their respective holo displays.
“Ah, Major,” said Xavier. “Over here.” He waved his hand to Chloe as she floated over to him. He stood next to a terminal closer to the helm alongside a tall woman with brown hair, braided, and tied back. Strangely enough, the flag on the back of her uniform was that of the UNE, no other crew members that Chloe encountered had that flag.
“Captain,” Chloe said as she floated next to the two.
“Major, our scanners have been detecting some form of heavy psionic power ever since you and your team came aboard,” Xavier said, glancing at a holographic bar graph. “I think the bloody thing just needs a good ol’ recalibration since it’s so new.”
“Captain, I have recalibrated all systems three times now, with no change in our current situation,” said the woman next to Xavier; she spoke in a monotone manner.
“Are you able to locate it this time?” Xavier asked.
The woman tilted her head toward the floor and said, “Scanning, please stand by.”
For someone who should be scanning, she didn’t seem to be doing much. She merely stood in place, with her hands behind her back. “The fuck?” Chloe said after watching her for a solid minute without moving to a computer or picking up a holo pad.
Xavier chuckled. “Ah, forgot to tell ya, eh? She’s an android, Electronic Versatile Entity or EVE for short.”
That explains the UNE flag on her back, Chloe thought. If she’s a machine, then she wasn’t exactly born in one of the nation states of the UNE.
“Search results have turned up no results, Captain,” EVE said, tilting her head back to face Xavier. “Whatever this psionic anomaly is, it is blocking all attempts at locating its direct source from within the ship.”
“Fuck me,” Xavier grumbled. “I don’t suppose your Radiance friends slipped something into your meals, did they?” he said to Chloe.
Chloe smiled then replied, “We could do a test—have all five of us leave. If the anomaly vanishes, then it’s one of us.”
“This is outrageous!” exclaimed a voice from the opposite end of the bridge. Chloe quickly took notice that the person spoke in the Radiance language.
Chloe spun her weightless body around, to see the sight of a Rabuabin psionic floating before a communication terminal. The horns on his head were large and extended outward, unlike most female Rabuabin in which their horns are smaller and curved to form a C shape. His hair and tail had a light brown color to it, while the typical psionic cybernetic implants adorned his shirtless, athletically fit body. A small holographic projection of an Aryile man was before him, no doubt the person he was yelling at.
“And no, he is not the source; we took his arse into consideration with our scans,” Xavier said.
“Psionic Za Michei seems to be significantly more aggressive this evening, Captain,” EVE said while staring at the Rabuabin psionic.
“Don’t put me on hold! I need an answer right now!” Michei yelled at the Aryile hologram in their language.
“I’d pay good money for him to shut it,” Xavier said.
“Mind if I talked with him? I can speak their language,” Chloe offered.
“Michei can speak English. He’s just too much of an arsehole to deal with. Can’t wait til he gets his fuckin’ transfer,” Xavier said to Chloe. “But go right ahead. He might respect you more than the rest of us.”
“I can speak all known languages, both human and extraterrestrial,” EVE added.
“And he resents your very existence,” Xavier reminded EVE. Then returned to the hologram he was looking at as Chloe floated toward Michei at the aft section of the bridge.
She stopped next to him, using a chair beside to him as a means to stop her from floating into the computer terminals in front of them. “Excuse me.”
“Yes! What?” Michei screamed, cutting Chloe off.
“Your voice is carrying.”
“Oh, and I suppose you want me to do something about it?” Michei said as he spun to face Chloe.
“I’m sorry. I cannot find any records of your transfer. Officially you are the Radiance liaison psionic for the Winston Churchill until further notice,” said the Aryile in the holographic projection.
Michei’s fingers turned into a first as he spun back around to address the hologram. “I’ll give you something to be sorry about! What’s your supervisor’s name?”
“Sir, please.”
“Never mind. I’ll find out myself. When I’m done, you—my friend—are going to be taking a permanent vacation from your job. I hope your service record is good.” The Aryile man in the hologram raised his arms in a fuck-this manner, and then the projection vanished. “Now what can I do for you?” Michei asked, facing Chloe once more.
“What’s with the attitude?”
“That is with the attitude.” He pointed at EVE, who was still staring at him. “She’s supposed to be my replacement; humans figured they have the solution for the lack of psionics in your society. So they built that monstrosity over there to take on the role that a shipboard psionic would normally do. So I requested to be transferred, I’m useless to the crew and would rather not see the skills I worked so hard on be undermined by human technology.”
“Pretty sure most of this tech came from your people.”
“Not all of it, that android uses quantum computing,” he explained. “Your kind already started developing and studying quantum computers and building primitive androids long before the war. All we did was help bring your kind up to date.”
/> “So I guess the transfer hasn’t been approved?” Chloe said crossing her arms.
“I have been approved! But someone in command is playing games, lying about it. They want me to stay here, they want me to feel useless, and they want me to be miserable.” He sighed and then sat down to monitor ship functions via his terminal. “I’m being punished.”
“For what?”
His fingers raced across the computers controls, before revealing, “Word of advice, human, never have sex with your commanding officer’s daughter.”
… … …
►► Geneva, Earth
► Sol System
Geneva was a UNE “green zone,” meaning it was devoid of all HLF activity; its population included purely human and Radiance races. The city remained mostly intact during the Hashmedai invasion of Earth. Given its history as an international city and home to the Red Cross and United Nations, it was, without hesitation, named the capital of the UNE. One of the major changes to the city was the inclusion of Earth Cube, the primary government building of the UNE, housing the president of Earth, Mariana Salamanca, EISS HQ below it, and the central command for the UNE military.
Earth Cube appeared as a cube-shaped object covered in glass windows across every section of it. It sat on an artificially created island floating in the calming waves of Lake Geneva with a wide suspension bridge connecting it to the rest of the city. On a sunny day, the glass-clad Earth Cube reflected off the blue waters of Lake Geneva, along with sunshine from above and the odd clouds in the sky. In some way, it truly looked like Earth in a cube form.
High above the skies of Geneva was a fleet of drones, armed with rail guns and plasma missiles, keeping the population safe in case of a surprise Hashmedai Empire attack and discouraging the HLF from conducting any terrorist activities. The rooftops of Earth Cube had landing pads with UNE and Radiance transport ships parked. The central landing pad housed Earth Ship One, personal transport ship of the UNE president.
President Mariana Salamanca stood in her office inside Earth Cube. The elderly Spanish woman wore a black blouse along with a knee-length businesslike skirt. Small reading glasses were perched atop her head, their arms nestled into her brown hair, slowly turning gray.
The Geneva skyline, visible from the window, featured Lake Geneva separating the city from the artificial island. Blinding sunlight shone in, illuminating the president’s office. Her guests included Ure Fiesei, an agent from the Whisper, Radiance intelligence; and Ure Crimei, viceroy to the Radiance Council. The two men were Linl. Crimei had thinning red hair and wore traditional white-and-yellow Radiance political robes. His were modified to allow his psionic cybernetics to be exposed. As such, his robe had no chest section on it and resembled more of a cape with a hood and sleeves.
Fiesei, however, puzzled Mariana. At every encounter with him thus far, she recalled him wearing human business suits, the like gray-and-black one that rested on his body. Part of his cover? she wondered. After all, the Whisper was deployed to monitor the situation on Earth covertly, namely how humanity was adjusting to its new way of life.
“Magnificent, isn’t it?” Fiesei said as he stood next to Mariana, gazing out the same window. “A shining beacon of hope for your people, and proof that my people will always be here to support your species.”
Mariana winced at his comment, then said, “Some people wonder how long it will be before it becomes property of the Radiance Union.”
“Which brings us to the topic at hand.” Crimei said, taking a seat on the circular sofa directly in front of her desk.
“Yes.” Fiesei said as he and Mariana sat down to join Crimei. “Humanity’s admittance into the Radiance Union.”
“It’s a…controversial topic for both of our people,” Crimei said. “Many years ago, our council voted to keep our distance from your kind outside of scientific research.”
“But here we are. You helped rebuild our planet when the empire tried to burn it into oblivion,” said Mariana.
“Our laws demanded that we take action,” Crimei said. “Now the question is…what actions do we take from here?”
Mariana took a long deep breath while adjusting her glasses and said, “You know enough of our world to know that we have many cultures, religions, and traditions. Joining Radiance means we’ll have to abandon all of it, and embrace an alien way of living our lives.”
“The Javnis, Rabuabin, Vorcambreum, and Linl all faced the same disputation,” explained Fiesei. “But in the end, they found that the benefits were too good to turn away from. The galaxy is a very dangerous place; only through unity can your species truly survive as the years go by.”
“The Hashmedai Empire is standing their ground solo,” said Mariana to Fiesei.
“Their empire is falling apart century by century; we could wipe out their home world easily if we wanted to. But such a battle would cost tens of thousands of lives and ships in the process—not worth the effort.”
“Are you certain the transition to the union will be painless?” Crimei asked.
“Hundreds of people every day have converted to the Radiance religion; your military already takes part in joint operations with ours. Plus we have the humans living on Lejorania Sanctum who have already partly embraced the Radiance way of life.” Fiesei’s voice was charming yet worrying, like a car salesman trying to get rid of bad merchandise. “I very much think humans are ready to become the sixth member of the union. We just need to take our time to make the transition.”
Crimei’s hands folded together as he uttered his next, highly important words. “We just need the Hashmedai living here to be removed.”
… … …
►► ESV Winston Churchill, Earth Orbit
► Sol System
Gavin’s hands dug deep inside of his duffel bag. Beneath the piles of apparel, playing cards, and souvenirs from Lejorania Sanctum, lay something he valued more than anything in life. Something that could never be replaced, something that kept calling out to him, like a child who wanted a hug from a parent. His hands rose up from the bag carrying a red gem with a white glowing orb in the center of it. An object his dead wife damn near guarded with her life, to the point that she requested Chloe take it and give it to Gavin. She made the request with her last bit of strength before succumbing to wounds, thanks to the Hashmedai.
His hands pressed the gem to his chest while he knelt down and shut his eyes. The gem returned the comforting favor by removing all pain in his heart caused by the memory of his dead wife and unborn child—a pact the gem and Gavin’s unconscious mind made shortly after he left Earth.
Chapter 3
►► K’iel Outpost, Yovinrok
► Morutrin System
Purple-and-blue lights radiated across the dark lounge. Typical sign that the place you entered was either owned by Hashmedai or had a large Hashmedai clientele. The strippers on stage were another sign, one of many signs Jake “Jazz” Johnson quickly picked up over the last year or so.
The Morutrin system, or renegade system as he liked to call it, was home to Hashmedai and Radiance Union riffraff who were not quite welcomed in their respective galactic communities. Salvagers, pirates, raiders, wanderers, exiles, slave traders, and shady people took up residence within this contested region of space and spent much of their spare time sitting at bars such as this one. Gazing at the exotic dancers elegantly strutting about in ways Jazz never thought possible. It wasn’t just their slick dance moves; it was the gravity of the moon where this establishment was located. The moon had a weak gravitational pull on par with the gravity from the moon back at Earth. Earth…Damn, he did he ever miss that rock.
Jazz’s empty beer glass bit by bit floated down to the bar counter before him. The hand of the Hashmedai bartender whisked it away, and then he asked, “Another one?”
“I’m fine,” Jazz said in the Hashmedai language. “Can’t drink too much, I got stuff to take care of.”
“Figured as much,” said the bartender. “We
don’t get many Linl visiting.”
Jazz smirked. The number of people out here who mistook him for a Linl rather than some black guy from Earth always amused him. On that note of amusement, he looked back at the stage. A sexy Hashmedai girl with light-pink hair was seconds away from showing the goodies underneath her top, with the aid of her two codancers.
Strippers out here were different from what he was used to back on Earth. The dances performed were in some way like a stage play. They had a story and characters, not just hot women getting naked. Not that similar ones didn’t exist like on Earth—oh no, Hashmedai were no stranger to the concept of lap dances.
A faint beeping sound coming from the side pocket of his black trench coat-like outfit, interrupted his viewing experience. He sighed, releasing chilly mist from his mouth, as his hands reached down to grab a handheld communicator.
“Yo what is it?” Jazz spoke directly into the communicator. “I’m trying to enjoy these firm tits.”
A female Hashmedai voice replied, “Orange eyes, dark-green hair, scar on the left of his head—do you see him?” It was Veloshira Snapshot.
Jazz arose from his seat, while scanning the surrounding area, his eyes looking for the Hashmedai in question. There he was, and like Jazz, he got to his feet. “Yeah.”
“That’s him; don’t let him out of your sight,” Veloshira transmitted back.
“He’s moving,” Jazz said, as the Hashmedai man began to move his body toward the exit.
“Probably heading to the cargo hold.”
“Perfect, I’ll follow. How long will you be?”
“I’m on the other side of this base; I’ll be a few minutes.”
Uprising of the Exiled (Splintered Galaxy Book 2) Page 4