by Chris Burton
“Ten ships and no more. The defeated Commander in Chief must stand down and it is imperative that Alpha be controlled by the self-maintained government and not as a separate entity.”
“Ten is lower than...”
“That is final Lieutenant Colonel!”
“Was there anything else?”
Harrington saw the further argument was pointless.
“No. I think we have everything we need for now.”
“Then I suggest you return to your superiors. You need to do this quickly Commander. It will not be long before the invasion commences.”
Chapter Seventy-Two
The Escape Continues
Jake listened. He heard something, just a muffle, but he trained his ear to the sound. Yes, he heard footsteps. Someone is coming!
He pulled himself tight into the cavity and waited. The heavily insulated flooring, combined with the Kryl’s footwear, meant the drones were almost upon him by the time he realized someone was coming. Fortunately, he quickly found a hideaway where he would not be detected unless they chose to enter the small sub-walkway. They might still, he thought. There is only one door in this section but in theory, anyone can access it at any time.
He had made slow progress since he left the Queen’s chambers, ducking out of sight whenever he heard the sound of footsteps. He was fortunate that only a few Kryl currently used this passageway. It had been much busier when he was escorted through here earlier.
The Kryl passed through and Jake was relieved to be able to breathe again. He was just about to set off again, when he heard voices. They had stopped.
This was very difficult. Quite why they had not detected an alien presence aboard the ship was beyond him. He could only reason that the Kryl had no intruder sensors. This said a lot about them and that no one, except himself, would be stupid enough to get themselves stuck on the biggest ship in the galaxy, without a plan to get off it. Actually, that was not strictly true. He did know the hanger bay was at the bottom of the ship and that the elevators had taken him upwards. How did he get down again? Accessing the elevators, which were both in heavily populated parts of the ship, was hardly practical.
The two Kryl workers moved on and Jake heaved another sigh of relief. It was time to continue. He had to keep going.
Jake entered the main corridor again, his hunter’s knife close to his side, as he moved forward in stages as the corridor curved round the ship. He rationalized he was probably somewhere in the center of the ship. As the Queen’s chamber was in the middle of the top deck, he must go left to get to the outside and down to the hanger deck. The progress was slow but at least now he was moving forward. The passageway sloped downwards. It was only a slight incline, but at least it was down.
He heard voices again and panicked. Jake looked around for cover. The corridor may have headed downwards but there was a long, straight section both in front and behind him. Jake ran back up the corridor searching for an alleyway or cavity he knew was not there. He had not realized quite how far he had come since he passed the last safe place to hide. He gave himself a few minutes, as long as no one else came the other way. He looked around but there was nothing he could use. He reached inside his tunic to check his gun, but alas, there was no prospect of it working. He had to find a place to hide or he would have to fight it out with nothing but his knife.
Think, dammit, think. He looked around again at the floor and then at the ceiling where he noticed the vented grill two meters above him. Could this be my salvation? Jake’s athleticism allowed him to jump up and push the grill to one side with just one leap. He jumped again and grabbed hold of the sides of the open access hatch. In one swift movement, he pulled himself into the roof hatch and pushed the suspended grill back into place. Just moments later, four heavily armed Kryl drones passed beneath him. That was way too close.
He was in some kind of access tunnel. It was barely sixty centimeters high but a good deal wider and followed the corridor down the ship. This could be my way out!
Jake edged forward at first on his knees but soon lay flat, using his arms and legs to slide along the passageway. It was slow going but at least he was comparatively safe.
Thirty minutes later, Jake came to a junction. He made good progress in the last twenty minutes, having established an effective fast crawl. This presented him with his next challenge. The T shaped junction in front of him had two options—left or right. The most obvious route being left, but it sloped upwards and therefore away from the hanger bay. He had no choice but to go right, heading downwards but moving towards the center of the ship. To make matters worse the incline became quite substantial. Now he had a further choice: continue slowly, supporting himself from slipping or slide down the passage and worry about what was at the other end when he got there. He chose the latter.
Jake was in free fall for thirty seconds. He had no idea what would happen when he reached the end. He had no choice but to continue momentum and the huge ship’s gravity took over. He came to a sudden stop and landed in a clump with his legs pulled over his head. He was not sure how he was uninjured but he was at the bottom of the tunnel slide. The passage in front of him was level. He moved on, confident he was near the bottom of the ship. All he needed to do was find a way of getting out of the access tunnel and into the hanger bay.
The answer to the current question was immediately forthcoming as he reached the end of the passage and once again was left with two options. However, this time the left-handed option was downhill and he saw a shaft of brighter light at the bottom of the downward tunnel. He calculated this new slide was about twenty meters in length—long enough to be going quite fast by the time you reached the bottom. He needed to land better this time. He pushed himself into the tunnel and grabbed his hunter’s knife. If this is near the hanger bay, the area at the bottom beyond the service tunnel could well be heavily-guarded.
He pushed off and slid head first down the half-vertical slide. He picked up speed at the half-way point. Jake braced himself for an untidy landing. As he reached the bottom however, he realized there was more to come—this was merely a break in the passage and a change of angle. It still headed downward at a reduced gradient. Once again, this time feet first, he slid down the passage. This section seemed to go on forever and now it widened too.
There was that chink of light again. He prepared himself and this time landed on his feet with the access tunnel large enough so he could actually stand up. He looked around. He saw several side vents. He moved towards the nearest and peered through. He had found the hanger deck.
Jake unclipped the grill of the access panel with his knife and checked all was clear before he pushed it open. Within a few moments, Jake Carter stood on a service deck in the center of the hanger bay. He was uncertain where he was, in relation to his shuttle but at least he was here.
The size of the place was unfathomable. In every direction were row after row of ships. Where was his shuttle in all of this? It was busy too. From his location he saw twenty or thirty Kryl on this section alone. He could not just walk across the deck to access the next one; he would have to find a different route. Each deck was arranged in a semi-circle, projecting out from the internal bulkheads like a series of cliff faces on the side of a mountain, but with more deck sections surrounding you in every direction. Here, it was difficult to determine which the way out was. From his current vantage point, it soon became clear with virtually all the ships heading in one direction. With the aid of his recently adjusted compass, he knew which part of the bay his shuttle was in and now he knew how to get there. He needed a plan and this was not the best place to make one. He pushed the grill to the access tunnel open and slipped back inside.
He could not have chosen a worse part of the hanger bay. He estimated he was at least two kilometers from his shuttle—assuming it was still there. If it wasn’t he would have to find a different means of escape. He planned to use the services tunnels again and try to stick to the side of the hanger bay as he
progressed around it. He reached into his tunic and pulled out his comm. device. There was one dimming orange light...even a flicker might be enough reception to set a motion detector and a directional aid. He did not want to use it as a comms device right now. He pulled out his blaster and noted this was now operational. There was not much in reserve,but it would discharge. That could be the difference between life and death.
Jake moved forward on foot. There was sufficient headroom at present but he doubted that would last long. He pulled out his comms device, switched it on, and set the two low yield applications to aid his journey. This tunnel was horizontal but curved around the deck he had just accessed. He continued until he reached the end of the curve. To his horror, he realized the tunnel came to an end. How was he going to get to the next hangar deck? The answer was immediately obvious: he was standing on a hatch. This would take him downward, which was not ideal but at least he could keep going. He checked the motion detector and opened the hatch to find another service tunnel. This tunnel was straight and flat so Jake continued.
He made good progress now. It had been nearly two hours since he entered the hanger deck and over five since he left the Queen’s chamber. He was tired and hungry. His liquid reserves were all but depleted however the target was nearer. Every so often, he had to open a floor or a roof hatch to access the next service tunnel, which either led to a curved or a straight passageway, depending on whether he was rounding the next deck or running between them. On three occasions, after checking his motion sensor, he accessed the hanger bay to check his bearings. Afterwards he returned to the safety of the access tunnels to continue his trek. He knew he was close but far from safe. Even if he did manage to get to his ship, what chance did he have of taking off and flying undetected straight out the back door? The Queen’s assertion that they would meet again was the only thing which kept him going. If they did meet again sometime in the future, then he must survive this, surely.
A further hour and a half passed before Jake reached his destination; coming across the correct deck, more by chance and earlier than he anticipated when he accessed the hangar bay to check his status. The Shuttle was still there but she was surrounded by two or three other Kryl vessels. He checked his motion sensor and headed towards his ship.
There were docking clamps on each of the three landing supports. These would have to be blown but apart from that, all was as he left it. The Shuttles access portal had closed and this would be his first challenge. Under normal circumstances, Jake’s security tag would trigger the opening mechanism when he was close enough to the ship but as yet, nothing had happened. The Kryl vessels energy restrictors prevented enough power to open the doors. Jake looked at his comms device. He took the directional finder offline and looked around hastily before disconnecting the motion sensor. Now he could channel his comm. devices limited power resources to assist the door mechanism. The boost of power worked and Jake was onboard in seconds, quickly securing the access portal and deadlocking it.
He headed straight for the cockpit. The power reserve monitor was offline and again Jake used his comms device to boost the power to force the monitor on-line. Twenty-three percent reserves—not much, but enough to break the clamps, take off, and get the hell out of here. So far, he had been very fortunate, could his luck continue?
Chapter Seventy-Three
Shields
The Jump Ship’s resistance was significant and held up the Kryl’s intent but it could not last forever. At 9:30 Greenwich Mean Time, the first batch of Malchian Arrows attacked Earth’s defense shield aided by a contingent of Kryl cruisers.
Koenig watched in disbelief as the shields faltered within minutes of the mass Kryl onslaught. He stood in Alpha’s Fleet Operations Center—normally a place of frantic activity but now it was silent. Admiral Clarke stood next to him.
“I would think that’s it then. Those shields are failing already. We should move the operation to the bunker.”
“No. The shields will hold long enough for us to complete our negotiations. If they don’t, the other two SED divisions will take over. We will not surrender. There will be a negotiated settlement and I am not going anywhere until that is in place.”
“With respect, even if you wish to stick around, I think it is best to get this place set up downstairs. Jonas and I are ready to get this started—you just need to give us the nod.”
Koenig paused for a moment as he thought through his advisor’s proposal.
“Okay, you win. Initiate Operation Down Under.”
* * * *
Chief Alexander stared at her own screen. The Shield Central Control Room was a hive of activity. This was when they needed to get everything right.
“Chief...updates: section three—down to forty percent, section two at sixty-five, and section one at fifty-two percent. Sections four, five, and six are still above eighty. Breach point estimate: seventy-two minutes at section three.”
“Thanks Simmons. Section Chiefs, keep those compensators up. We need to hold on as long as we can.”
Charlie Alexander was under no illusions and she was not about to let others think things were okay when clearly they were not. Her brief today was simple: hold on as long as you can. She was booting up the Residual Surge Enhancer, a last resort booster which would kick in when the average shield strength reached below thirty percent across the six sections. This would boost shield strength back to higher levels. However, once its own limited resources were depleted, it would crash and force the entire network down.
She would need CIC authorization to deploy. At this rate, it would not be long
* * * *
Koenig sat in a secure glass- walled conference suite just outside the main operations center. Admirals Kohn and Clarke and the two senate negotiators joined him. They were discussing the final draft of the proposed negotiated settlement.
“Colonel, do you have agreement in principal from the president?”
“Yes Sir, subject to your final approval and his ratification. We are good to go.”
“Okay, time is obviously of the essence. Let’s have some details.”
Harrington stood and ventured towards the document displayed on the holo display in the center of the desk.
“The Kryl will cease all military action against us if we agree to provide them with three hundred million people per year to feed on. That is the bottom line.” Harrington paused before continuing.
“In return they will stay within their communities and will allow us to self-govern, just as we do now. They have agreed that Alpha may continue on a non-aggressive, defensive, and scientific basis only with ten ships of the line. Alpha will be based on Alpha Two.” Again, he paused. He had expected an interruption by now.
“They have specified that and I quote: ‘Those selected must be adult and with fully functioning brain stem and cognitive capability. Any who do not fulfill this will be rejected.’ Accordingly, four hundred million persons will be selected and the Kryl will select three quarters with the remaining quarter returning home. If they are ‘rejected’ they will not then be eligible for re-selection. Only those over sixty years of age will be eligible. It is our responsibility to seek the best way to achieve this—the most obvious method being some kind of lottery or random selection process.”
This time, Koenig was ready to speak.
“This is very one-sided Colonel. Quite apart from the political consequences and the logistics, I foresee problems with the population. Surely it will reduce at that rate.”
“Yes. To perpetuate the species, we will have to establish a breeding program. The alternatives are unpalatable even if this one is too. With no agreement, they will assume control of our governments and indiscriminately wipe out our species, potentially in a matter of years. The question is: what is better for the longevity of our species?”
Koenig paused and no one else spoke. He had something on his mind, “Let’s be quite clear on this. The objective is to pacify the Kryl for now. It will not be n
ecessary to establish breeding initiatives because this agreement will not be long lasting.”
He paused again, before addressing Harrington and Carla, “It is important that you understand the complexities of our decisions. What I am about to tell you is for your ears only. You must not disclose the content of this conversation with anyone and I mean anyone.”
Jonas Koln stood up. “Thomas, we cannot divulge this to just anyone. The Colonel and Lieutenant Stevenson do not have full security clearance and there is the question of seniority.”
“Thank you. We are about to enter a period of uncertainty. The people in this room will be the only people on Earth who will know the truth. I have wrestled with this. I feel that these two members of the senate should be trusted—given what they know already. It is important for all of us here to look at the bigger picture.”
Carla looked on nervously. What were they talking about?
Jonas sat down, obviously accepting Koenig’s explanation. Koenig was about to speak again, when a knock at the door interrupted proceedings.
“Come.”
The young Lieutenant Commander entered the room and bent down to whisper in Koenig’s ear.
“Sir, Chief Alexander requests authority to engage the Residual Surge Enhancer. Shield levels have now reduced on average to below thirty percent.”
“Thank you. Instruct Ms Alexander that she may proceed.”
The officer left the room. Koenig accessed the room’s security controls on a panel by the door. “A reminder that the contents of this conversation are not for disclosure. I trust that is acceptable.”
Koenig noted Carla looked uncomfortable
“Lieutenant Stevenson. You look troubled. Is this a burden you would rather not take on?”
“No, Sir. I am taking in the enormity of our situation.”