by Thomas Fay
We raced back down the corridor. Drones descended from above, forcing us to defend ourselves. Two more marines were overwhelmed by the photonic weapons before we reached the entrance. Stepping through, we were confronted by a chaotic sight.
The ground was strewn with the wreckage of drones. Interspersed between them were the bulky forms of fallen marines who had been struck by the powerful photonic charges. Those still alive stood amongst the wreckage, firing their weapons at the swarm of drones flying above them. The sun had darkened to a deep red colour.
‘We need to get to the ships!’ I shouted.
‘We’ll cover you, sir,’ Sergeant Liu said.
I looked at the armour-clad form of the marine sergeant. Then I nodded.
‘We’ll bring the interceptors back to pick you up.’
Lieutenant Gage and I raced across the purple grass. Behind us, the carnage continued as drones unleashed their deadly weapon while the marines countered with disruptor blasts and azure beams of energy.
We reached the ships.
‘Get us in the air, Lieutenant!’
‘Yes, sir.’
I hit the coms switch.
‘Interceptors—we need to pick up those marines.’
‘Yes, sir. Both ships ready for immediate take-off.’
‘Stay in formation. We’ll lead the way. Let us handle the drones.’
‘Understood, sir.’
The three Space Navy vessels lifted into the air. Their manoeuvring thrusters cut out fifty metres above the purple grass as their ion drives came online. They swept around the alien monolith in a wide elliptical arc.
‘Oh my …’ Lieutenant Gage whispered.
The top section of the ancient monolith split apart. The four sections folded downwards, revealing the energy conduit inside. It was covered in inert drones. A surge of energy passed through the conduit, activating every single one of them.
‘There must be hundreds of them!’
‘Lieutenant, shields at maximum. Hit those drones with everything we’ve got,’ I said. ‘Interceptors, drop down and get our marines out of there!’
‘Yes, sir!’
Lieutenant Gage unleashed the Raptor fighter’s full arsenal. Disruptor orbs, weaponised beams of energy and seeking projectiles accelerated from the fighter’s forward launch tubes. Scores of drones exploded. Those targeting the marines switched their focus to our heavy fighter.
‘Lieutenant!’
‘Deploying countermeasures,’ Lieutenant Gage said.
A pair of launchers expelled their full load of countermeasures in less than a second. Hundreds of miniature decoys emitting powerful electromagnetic fields filled the air around us.
‘Hang on!’ Lieutenant Gage shouted. She pulled up so fast that I almost blacked out from the g-forces pressing down on me. The drones unleashed their photonic charges. They struck the decoys, obliterating them in microseconds. The drones dropped out of the sky, their single photonic charges expended. Another wave began to detach from the obelisk. Lieutenant Gage brought the Raptor heavy fighter around in a wide arc.
I hit the coms.
‘Interceptors, what’s your status?’ I asked.
‘Sir, all surviving marines are on board,’ the interceptor pilots reported. ‘We’re back in the air.’
‘Make for the exit—maximum thrust!’
‘Yes, sir!’
Lieutenant Gage unleashed another wave of seeking projectiles and disruptor orbs as we flew around the obelisk. Forming up behind the interceptors, she increased the power output from the twin class C engines. I was pushed back into my seat as the Raptor heavy fighter accelerated upwards. We arced around the artificial sun. It was getting darker by the second. Aligning on the opening in the external shell of the Dyson sphere, we passed back into open space. There was a moment of weightlessness as the ship’s graviton flux generator adjusted for the sudden lack of gravity. Behind us, the artificial sun dimmed further as night fell inside the Dyson sphere for the first time in millennia.
****
We were confronted by the sight of three Zenith-class frigates and dozens of Raptor heavy fighters. The wreckage of countless drones and a large number of heavy fighters floated in space around the sphere.
‘Sir, incoming transmission,’ Lieutenant Gage said.
‘Put it through,’ I said. My eyes took in the carnage around the sphere. I activated the coms.
‘This is Commander John Stanton.’
‘Lieutenant Commander Haruto Nakamura of the frigate Nemesis.’
‘What happened here, Lieutenant Commander?’
‘Sir, the Raptor fighters guarding this installation came under heavy fire. They requested immediate assistance. Three frigates were dispatched from Tau III. We arrived too late to save Delta squadron.’
‘Lieutenant Commander, order all ships back immediately—this installation is highly unstable. We need to get out of here. Now.’
‘Yes, sir. All frigates, secure your fighters and make best speed back to Tau III.’
All pilots acknowledged the order.
‘Should we follow them, sir?’ Lieutenant Gage asked.
‘No. Return to base.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘And Lieutenant?’
‘Yes, sir?’
‘Quickly, please. If I’m not mistaken, this installation is going to explode very soon.’
Instead of replying, Lieutenant Gage accelerated away from the miniature Dyson sphere. Behind us, the Raptor fighters and the two interceptors landed inside the frigates. One by one the frigates’ quad banks of class E engines ignited, sending the powerful ships back to the relative safety of Tau III.
The shockwave hit us thirty thousand kilometres from the covert Space Navy base. A mixture of asteroid fragments and charged particles buffeted the heavy fighter, shutting down half of its systems. Lieutenant Gage’s skill and superior reflexes saved us from careening into a sizeable asteroid. We levelled out and approached the base.
‘Home sweet home,’ Lieutenant Gage said.
‘I don’t know about you, Lieutenant, but I’ve had enough excitement for one day. Bring us in.’
‘Yes, sir.’
The elongated asteroid that was Echo Station Ten expanded on the view screen. My thoughts turned to what we had just gone through. As if sensing my thoughts, Lieutenant Gage asked, ‘Are you alright, sir?’
‘No, Lieutenant. I don’t think I am, to be honest.’
Silence. Then: ‘Do you want to talk about it?’
I took a deep breath. Images of photonic drones, purple landscapes and Cetians filled my mind. As did one overriding thought: They must have known.
‘Maybe later.’
****
Lieutenant Gage and I were seated in a chamber deep inside the covert asteroid base. A liquid data display screen showed Vice Admiral Scholtzer, via an encrypted link from Tau III.
‘Is that everything, Stanton?’ the vice admiral asked.
‘Yes, sir.’
I finished my account and fell silent. Lieutenant Gage nodded. On the screen, Vice Admiral Scholtzer remained silent for a full sixty seconds.
‘Stanton?’
‘Yes, sir?’
‘I find no fault with your actions. In fact, what you did, risking your own life to eliminate a potentially deadly threat to the rest of colonised space, is worthy of recognition. This may set back relations in Tau Ceti but, judging by their plans to reactivate a Founder installation, I don’t think relations were getting any better. If they had managed to gain full control over those photonic drones then Tau III may have been compromised, not to mention the Un’Glaz faction’s control of the Forum. Well done, Stanton.’
I cast a quick glance at Lieutenant Gage. She was sitting up straight, her eyes staring directly at me. Then she winked at me. Momentarily distracted, I didn’t realise the vice admiral had just congratulated me.
‘Thank you, sir.’
‘Don’t thank me yet. Effective immediately, you’re
promoted to the rank of rear admiral. You’re also reassigned. Report back to the Sol system. Your posting in Tau Ceti is officially over.’
‘Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.’
‘Good. Now I don’t need to remind you both that this was a highly classified mission. You are not to discuss any aspect of it with anyone—civilian or military. The truth about the Founders must remain secret. Is that understood?’
‘Yes, sir,’ Lieutenant Gage and I replied in unison.
‘Good. See you on Earth, Stanton.’
The screen went dark. I took a deep breath. Expelling it slowly, I looked at Lieutenant Gage.
‘I guess that’s that then,’ I said.
‘You earned it, sir. Although we’ll be sorry to see you go,’ she said.
‘Thanks,’ I replied. ‘It’s been one hell of a day.’
‘I know. I think that makes up for the last six months here. I wonder who your replacement will be?’
‘I’m not sure. It doesn’t sound like they’ve thought that far ahead; although, from what I know of Command, they never leave anything to chance. I suspect they’ve known exactly when I’d be promoted and reassigned.’
Lieutenant Gage stood up. She walked over to where I sat in a high-backed chair. Leaning down, her face inches from mine, she whispered.
‘Good luck, John.’
Then she kissed me. I kissed her back. Pulling away, Lieutenant Gage placed her hand on my cheek. I enjoyed the feel of her skin against mine. Then I felt it. The tremors. Taking her hand in mine, I looked deep into her eyes.
‘How long have you …?’ I asked.
Her eyes clouded over for a moment. Then she smiled, brushing the tears away with her other hand.
‘About a month now. It’s not serious and they told me what to take to keep it under control. I’ll be able to fly for at least another year.’
I had known about the side effects of the Chronos Project but seeing them up close and personal like this was another thing altogether. My promotion felt empty. The lives of those that had been lost during the mission suddenly pressed down upon me as if their souls were in the chamber with me. I once again found myself questioning the Space Navy’s methods, questioning the very organisation I’d devoted my entire life to.
‘John? Are you alright?’
I looked at her.
‘How did they know?’
‘How did they know what?’
‘The exotic particle scan. Where did Command get that from?’
‘I don’t know. It was clearly a Founder energy signature which means … wait, are you saying …?’
‘There’s only one way they could have had that information. The Space Navy has encountered Founder technology before.’
‘But … there’s no record of any actual Founder technology. The Cetians may have records of their existence but no physical evidence. This is the first installation we’ve ever found.’
I shook my head.
‘No,’ I said. ‘They knew exactly what that Cetian Nautilus-class ship was carrying. Which means they’ve found others. Command knew Founder technology was real. It also means they knew what they were sending us into.’
‘But that’s … it can’t be! They wouldn’t send us against such advanced technology with only a single fighter squadron for support!’
‘They could and they would. Damn. I can’t believe I didn’t put it together before. All of this, the Treaty of Tau III, this base, our whole presence here—I wouldn’t be surprised if the only reason the Space Navy is in Tau Ceti is to search for Founder technology. They know it’s the only thing in the known universe which can challenge the superiority of the fleets.’
I fell silent. I stared ahead without blinking, lost deep in thought.
‘Are you alright, John?’
‘No, I’m really not and I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing this for.’
‘Don’t think about that now. Tomorrow—you’ll be somewhere else. Today, be here, with me.’
I looked into her eyes. Then I kissed her again. She was right. Even the Founders, with their incredible technology and knowledge, had not survived. What chance did any of us really have?
58.
Present day …
I approached the entrance to the Dyson Alpha star-port bar. Pausing on the threshold, a faint tingling sensation alerted me to the fact that I had passed through some form of energy field.
Selize?
Nothing. It appeared the field was designed to block my telepathic connection. I took a step inside. The bar was deserted. No, not deserted. There was one occupant silhouetted against the panoramic viewing panel depicting the frozen moons. It was a man I hadn’t seen in person for over a year but a man whom I would recognise anywhere. The Admiral of the First Fleet—Admiral Jess, as he was known throughout the upper echelons of Space Navy Command.
‘Come in, John.’
I walked over and stood near the viewing panel. Chiron’s amethyst surface shimmered with the reflected light of Alpha Centauri’s stars. I turned my attention to the most powerful officer in the Space Navy. The man who was singlehandedly charged by the UEP with protecting the human race. The man who, along with the President of the UEP, held the fate of billions in his hands.
His hair was greyer than the last time I had seen him and he had a few more lines on his face but otherwise he looked the same, except there was a tightness around his eyes that got more pronounced each time I saw him. The weight of his responsibilities was beginning to take its toll. Not surprising, given the situation in Tau Ceti and Alpha Centauri, not to mention the civil uprisings in Sol.
The admiral motioned towards the nearest booth. I took a seat. He sat down across from me.
‘Why are you here?’ I asked.
‘I’m here because I need your help.’
‘Why would I help you?’
The admiral leaned forwards, fixing me with his gaze.
‘Why? Because you’re a senior officer in the Space Navy and it’s your duty.’
‘Duty? What do you know of duty? Was it Vanessa’s duty to die a slow, painful death? What about all those marines who were little more than zombies?’
‘Damn it, John! Do you think we wanted to do it? To kill our youngest and finest?’
‘Then why did you allow the augmentation and enhancement program to continue?’
‘Because it was necessary. You’ve seen Founder technology for yourself. Do you really think even a fleet of Raptors, without enhanced pilots, could have stood a chance? Or that a squadron of marines without the stims pumping through their veins would be able to stand and fight against that sort of technology? They built a goddamn Dyson sphere. Do you understand that? We can’t even theoretically model one. They built one. A miniature one. No, John. It wasn’t just necessary. It was critical if we are to have any chance of surviving.’
‘Surviving?’
The admiral stood up. Walking to the panoramic viewing panel, he looked out at the shimmering surface of Chiron.
‘Surviving the return of the Founders.’
‘The Founders have been long extinct.’
The admiral looked at me for a long moment. I saw something there I had never seen in him before. Fear. A cold shiver flowed through me. The most powerful man in the universe was afraid.
‘The Alpha Protocol has been enacted,’ he said.
‘I know and I simply can’t believe that—’
‘It’s true. The Founders have returned. All ark ships have launched from Luna on their way to the Kuiper Belt UEP gateway. The First Fleet is pulling back to protect them.’
I took a deep breath.
‘What does the Founder force consist of?’
‘Unknown. We’ve only got a long-range reading at this stage. It was detected by the Second Fleet on the edges of the Tau Ceti system.’
‘How many ships?’
‘One.’
‘One?’
‘The quantum signature is unlike anything we’ve ever
encountered.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘This thing is literally spanning several dimensions. We have no idea how big it is or what it’s capable of. The only thing we know for sure …’
‘Is …?’
‘Its trajectory puts it on a course for the Sol system.’
‘You mean …?’
‘It’s heading for Earth.’
I took a deep breath. The admiral’s eyes never left mine.
‘What can I do?’
‘It’s time to call in all the favours we can.’
‘You mean?’
‘Yes, John. You need to convince the Centaurians to help us. Your relationship with Commander Alyssia’s daughter puts you in a unique position to do so. I’m sure by now you’ve realised who she is.’
‘What do you mean? She’s training to be part of the Centaurian High Council like her mother.’
The Admiral shook his head as I realised that despite the intimacy of my bond with Selize, there were still secrets between us.
‘We have credible intelligence that Commander Alyssia is the current leader of the Centaurians. Or did you think they just assigned Wraith-class command ships to everyone on the Council?’
‘Are you saying …?’
‘Yes. Selize is her chosen successor. She will be the next leader of the Centaurian High Council.’
I shook my head in disbelief even as a part of me realised what the admiral had just said made sense.
‘It doesn’t matter. I won’t put Selize or my daughter in harm’s way just because it serves your agenda.’
‘Damn it, John! I’m not asking.’
‘Just like you didn’t ask Vanessa to volunteer to be a Raptor pilot?’
‘I’ve explained to you why the reflex augmentations are necessary. Besides, you already proved your point by leaving the Space Navy and settling here with a Centaurian.’
‘Then why can’t you understand that I can’t risk everything I have?’
The admiral turned his back to me, facing the viewing panel. I stared at him, my eyes boring a hole between his shoulder blades. Finally, he turned towards me. His tone was softer.