“That’s something we will have to discuss with Grayseth,” Clarissa said a little tentatively. “If he would allow us, we would like to. We both feel any cubs of Grayseths will be close friends with your children. They are bound to be around each other much of the time.”
Kelsey began laughing. She could just see Ariel and Clarissa chasing a bunch of little Bears around. “Just don’t bite off more than you can chew.”
-
For the next half hour they discussed the upcoming mission to find Grayseth as well as Rear Admiral Barnes mission to find the lost Originators. During that time their appetizers arrived and finally their main course.
“It’s strange to see more Originators around,” commented Angela. “We have two in the Communications Center most of the time. They’re very polite and some of the things they have shown us that can be done with the Communication and Transport Hub’s communications systems are unbelievable.”
“There were 412 adult Originators on the Seeker,” Jeremy said, recalling the numbers.
“Plus 207 children,” added Kelsey.
“Some of them are esteemed scientists and Bartoll is thrilled to have them back here at the Communications and Transport Hub.”
Ariel frowned. “There were twenty-one members of the Defenders of Zorn on the ship including Commander Alvord. All have been awoken and given the cure to the pathogen. Most have renounced their support of Zorn. However, Alvord and four others are demanding we give them a ship to see if they can find any surviving members of their organization.”
Kevin shook his head. “That sounds as if they know where there are additional hidden stasis chambers in other Dyson Spheres.”
“Leeda and Reesa are currently looking into the possibility of other stasis chambers,” Jeremy said. “So far they haven’t turned up anything.”
Kelsey looked around the group. “That’s enough talk about work. I want to talk about babies and what colors to paint the nursery.”
-
The girls began chattering about baby stuff and Kevin decided to focus on his meal. He took another bite of his steak. While he would rather have had a hamburger, this was a damn good steak! He still couldn’t believe Katie might be having twins. He had been mentally preparing himself for one child but two was beyond his expectations. Picking up his roll he covered it in butter and took a bite. Katie was right; the food at this restaurant was very good. So good he might be willing to come back and try another steak.
-
Jeremy listened to the girls, noticing Kevin was lost in his food. He grinned. It was good to be out with friends. He knew they should do this more often, but he was the fleet admiral and it was his responsibility to keep everyone safe. Looking over at Ariel and Clarissa, he was surprised to see how attentive they seemed to be listening to the three women talk about decorations for the nurseries. He was going to ask Ariel what she thought of all of this later.
Leaning back, Jeremy allowed his thoughts to wander to the Eternals. There was so little they knew about them. They had no idea how expansive an empire the Eternals controlled or how big their space fleet was. Their only point of contact besides the Meridian Galaxy had been in Galaxy X-938. Rear Admiral Mann’s fleet had been heavily reinforced in case the Shrieel was attacked. There was no doubt in Jeremy’s mind that if the Eternals attacked again it would be there. However, he doubted if even they would be prepared for the massive number of defensive and offensive weapons the Dyson Sphere in that particular galaxy now possessed.
All across Originator space there was a massive arms build up. Bartoll said it reminded him of what had occurred during the first war with the Anti-Life. Bartoll had confided in Jeremy that he was deeply concerned. Even with the construction capacity of all the Shrieels and the Communications and Transport Hub it might not be enough. He greatly feared now that the Eternals had fought Originator ships they would return in overwhelming force.
Jeremy looked over at Kelsey, Katie, and Angela. All three looked radiant and excited abut the babies. Jeremy was determined to do everything in his power so that someday his children would know peace and not have to worry about war.
Chapter Three
Grayseth was standing at the front of the cave staring out at the forest below. His crew had cut a number of small saplings and dragged up some brush to camouflage the entrance. They had also piled up rocks and small boulders nearly chest high to stop anything from entering the cave. From a distance, the entrance wasn’t visible, only from up close could you tell something was hidden.
“They’re late from the hunt,” commented Shantor, who was standing next to Grayseth holding an energy rifle. “It is unlike Ganlon to be gone for so long.”
“This is a barbaric world,” commented Hawthorn, who was in command of the few surviving Carethian Marines. Only four had survived including Hawthorn. They were keeping two guards at the entrance at all times.
“This world was not meant for civilized people,” responded Grayseth as he scanned what he could see of the large valley.
He was growing deeply concerned about the missing crewmembers. This world was extremely dangerous, and there were hundreds of ways one could die. There were dangerous animals; some so large they could crush a full-grown Carethian with just their feet. In addition, there were plants, which were both poisonous and carnivorous. Since their arrival, he had been sending out foraging parties searching for food as well as bringing back water from a nearby stream. Each party was heavily armed and more than once had to kill a large predator just to make it back to the cave. The cave was about seventy meters above the valley floor. The slope leading up to the cave was steep, rocky and strewn with large boulders.
“Our clans would have a difficult time surviving on this planet,” said Hawthorn as he peered through the scope of his energy cannon, seeing if he could spot the returning foraging party. The cannon had been inside the arms locker on the Warrior’s Pride and was the most powerful weapon they had.
Shantor nodded his agreement. “Last time I went out on a foraging run I was nearly eaten by a vine. It had tentacles as large as my arms and survives by eating small animals. We had to use our energy rifles to free ourselves. Now we know to avoid it. The hunts on this planet are very different from what we’re used to. I would not want to train a cub on this world.”
Grayseth let out a deep breath. They had discovered numerous plants and animals that were dangerous. In the time they had been here he had lost two crewmembers who failed to return from foraging. Now he always sent out four to five crewmembers, even if it was only to bring back water. Each was armed with an energy rifle for protection. Shantor was right; even a fully trained Carethian would have a hard time surviving on their own with all the dangers present on this world.
Grayseth’s eyes looked upward. It was already several months past the time he had expected they would be rescued. He was beginning to fear Jeremy did not know they had survived or, even if he did, it was far too dangerous to send a rescue mission. They were in a galaxy controlled by the Eternals with numerous enemy warships on patrol. It might be impossible for his clan brother to get back into this galaxy and this system undetected.
“Look, I see them,” said Shantor, pointing toward the beginning of the slope of the small mountain their cave was in.
Reaching the slope were four Carethians who had just emerged from the forest. Two were carrying a third while the remaining one was keeping a watchful eye behind them and occasionally pausing to look through the scope on his energy rifle. In the distance, Grayseth heard a loud, angry roar and a crashing in the forest as if trees and underbrush were being pushed to the side.
“Hawthorn, stand by on the heavy energy cannon,” ordered Grayseth, his eyes glued to the nearby forest. The cannon was the largest and most powerful weapon they had. It fired an energy beam four times more powerful than one of the rifles. “I think we’re going to need it.” Grayseth knew this planet had dozens of large carnivorous species many times the size of a Carethia
n. He wondered which one the foraging party had stumbled across.
The four crewmembers were only one-third of the way up the treacherous slope when a huge beast exited the forest. The creature stood a good ten meters high on two legs. It had a massive head and even from the cave its large sharp teeth were visible. The creature spotted its prey, gave out another roar, and charged toward the slope.
“Kill it!” ordered Grayseth, his incisors showing. This was one of the more fearsome creatures on this nightmare world. It was an Alpha carnivore, at nearly the top of the food chain.
Hawthorn took careful aim and fired at the charging animal. The beam struck it in the shoulder, going all the way through. The wound only served to infuriate the beast as it charged even faster up the slope.
The Carethian with the energy weapon turned, dropped to his knees, and began firing nonstop at the creature. The energy rifle’s beams failed to penetrate the animal’s tough hide. The beams were causing blisters to swell up but no serious damage.
Hawthorn fired once more. It took a few seconds for the barrel of the energy cannon to cool before it could be fired again. The second round hit the beast in the right side of its chest, burning a hole deep inside. The beast howled in pain and with a huge lunge reached the kneeling Carethian. The crewman threw down his energy weapon and tried to run, but it was too late. The creature had reached him.
The creature’s head darted down and a scream of anguish and pain reached the cave. The creature bit down with his jaws and the crewman in the animal’s mouth went limp and became silent. The animal dropped the dead Carethian to the ground and began tearing the body apart as it prepared to feed on its kill.
Hawthorn drew in a sharp breath and took a long moment to sight the energy cannon in and then fired again, striking the beast dead center in the chest. The creature seemed to shudder and then, with an ear-piercing roar, collapsed to the ground. “The beast is dead,” said Hawthorn raggedly. “But I fear we have lost another member of our clan.”
“Perhaps more,” Shantor responded as the other three neared the cave. Shantor looked over at Grayseth meaningfully. “I don’t see Ganlon.” Ganlon had been the leader of this foraging party.
Grayseth felt his heart pounding in his chest. Shantor was right. Ganlon was not one of the three now entering the cave. Ganlon had been with Grayseth since the battles against the Hocklyns at Careth. He was a long-time friend and member of Grayseth’s clan.
“The creature caught us near the stream,” Lasall said as the injured crewmember was laid down on the cave floor. “Farsalk injured his ankle as we tried to flee. Ganlon and Baryon tried to fight off the beast with their energy rifles while we helped Farsalk to safety. Ganlon was too close and the beast killed him next to the stream. He didn’t even have time to attempt to flee. The creature has been following us ever since. Only the thick underbrush and massive tree trunks allowed us to escape the beast. Baryon must have shot the creature fifty times before we reached the slope of the mountain. No matter how many times it was shot it kept coming.”
Grayseth took the report stoically. In every hunt there was the danger of death. Baryon was a Carethian Marine and the one the creature had killed on the slope. “Both Ganlon and Baryon died with honor. We will honor them during our evening meal,” Grayseth announced. “Let’s get Farsalk to Pasat so we can get his ankle treated.”
Grayseth looked down the slope where the dead creature lay. Already small scavengers were swarming the carcass as well as the body of Baryon. As much as Grayseth would like to recover Baryon’s body, it was just too risky. The small creatures, due to their number, could be as dangerous as the beast lying dead on the slope. By morning all that would remain would be a few half-eaten bones. Within a few days even those would be gone.
-
Pasat was deep in the cave in a small cavern where the command cutter was located. The entrance to the cavern had been sealed so the level of oxygen could be increased and there was no need for the breathing masks. A makeshift airlock had been made out of parts from the escape pods. The escape pods had been stacked in side tunnels deep within the cave complex where it was hoped Eternal sensors would not be able to pick them up. So far in the months they had been here, there had been no sign of the Eternals.
Grayseth and Shantor helped get Farsalk down to the cavern the command cutter was in. The survivors of the Warrior’s Pride had been living in the cavern ever since they arrived on the planet. They had strung some emergency lights from the command cutter so the cavern was moderately lit.
Upon seeing their arrival, the rest of the clan hurried over to see and hear what happened. With great sadness Grayseth recited what he had witnessed on the slope as well as what happened to Ganlon.
“This world is not a fit place to live,” said Makeb with a deep frown after hearing of Ganlon and Baryon’s deaths. “If we are here much longer there will be no one left to rescue.”
“There may be no rescue,” Grayseth said. He didn’t want his crewmembers to have false hope. They deserved to know the truth. “There is a chance no one knows we survived. There is also a possibility it is too dangerous to send a rescue mission.”
“Our clan brother will come if he knows we are here,” said Shantor, his large brown eyes showing his conviction. “Fleet Admiral Strong will come for us regardless of the danger.”
Others nodded their agreement. They knew how serious Jeremy took being a clan member.
“That he would,” agreed Grayseth. “But with each passing day we must accept there may be no rescue coming.”
The others looked at one another thinking of those they had left behind in the clan’s new city on the Dyson Sphere. Several had mates and cubs in the dens waiting for their safe return.
“If it is our destiny to die in the hunt, then so be it,” said Belmar. “We will die with honor and fight to survive on this world until our very last breath.”
Shantor looked at the gathered clan members. “I don’t believe we will die here. While months have passed, there is still time for us to be rescued. We just need to survive. I believe we will live to hunt the Eternals with our clan brother, Fleet Admiral Strong.”
“To the hunt!” said the gathered Carethians.
Grayseth felt pride in his fellow clansmen. Taking a deep breath, he turned and went into the command cutter. He was keeping a daily log of their efforts to survive on this world. This log entry would be the most difficult one since he had written about the destruction of the Warrior’s Pride. Ganlon had left a mate back on the Dyson Sphere as well as two young cubs. Someday, if someone found this computer log, Ganlon’s family would learn of how he died and brought honor to the clan. While Grayseth didn’t speak of it, his greatest fear was that someday this log would be the only record of what happened to the twenty-eight survivors of the Warrior’s Pride. Already four had met their end on this forsaken planet and Grayseth knew with certainty they would not be the last.
-
In the massive spacedock which held the new Avenger, Fleet Admiral Jeremy Strong sat down in his command chair. The new ship was much larger and considerably more powerful than the previous one. It included a second ion cannon since the cannons could freeze an Eternal ship’s energy screen. The power of the ship’s other weapons had been increased by over 22 percent with the installation of an additional antimatter chamber. The ship was also equipped with a new type of energy screen, a multiplex screen that provided three layers of protection.
“The ship is ready,” reported Aaliss, who was an Originator AI and had been assigned to the Avenger. Aaliss was over seven foot tall and was very similar to a Human woman. Her skin had a very slight blue tint to it.
“All systems are functioning normally,” added Ariel, who was standing just behind Jeremy and on his left side. That was her customary spot. She was in her AI body and wasn’t using a hologram.
“Is the crew ready?” asked Jeremy, looking over at Commander Kyla Malen. Kyla had dark black hair and hazel green eyes. She wa
s 45 years old and a trusted friend and officer.
“Ready as we’re going to be. Let’s go rescue Grayseth and kick some Eternal butt.”
Jeremy grinned. “Let’s hope we don’t encounter any Eternals, at least on this mission.” Jeremy knew if they did, the mission might very well fail.
-
Kevin walked through the large open hatch and took his place at the sensor console. Katie had nearly made him late as she wanted one more intimate encounter before he left on the mission. “Sensor console is online and functioning normally,” he reported as he scanned the readings. They weren’t showing much since they were inside the spacedock.
Kevin still hadn’t fully recovered from Katie telling him they might be having twins. She said she would know at her next checkup. Kevin knew when they returned from this mission he would know if he was going to be a father to one or two children. He still wasn’t sure if he was ready to be a father. Angela and Katie had assured him he would do just fine. Ariel and Clarissa were delighted about the possibility of there being twins. With a deep sigh, Kevin looked at Jeremy. He knew in moments the new heavy dreadnought would be leaving the spacedock.
-
“Take us out,” ordered Jeremy as he gazed at the viewscreens showing the interior of the massive shipbuilding facility. He was anxious to get this mission started. He already felt guilty at how long it had taken to get this rescue mission launched.
-
The massive heavy dreadnought lifted from her berth and began to move down the center of the spacedock. There were other ships berthed inside as well. Ahead of the ship the huge space doors slid open. There was an atmospheric retention field keeping the atmosphere in place. The Avenger’s bow touched the retention field and the 3,600-meter-long ship slid through with a slight popping noise. Then she was out in space amidst the hundreds of massive constructions of the Originators. All around the area of space where the Originator Communications and Transport hub was located were hundreds of titanic structures. Many of them were large ship construction yards and others giant manufacturing facilities, which processed the raw material the Originators and their AIs needed to maintain the megastructures. There were also research centers where the AIs worked nonstop advancing the science of their creators. The largest constructions were the four Dyson Spheres capable of housing trillions of beings. One of them now held the Humans, Altons, and Carethians who had come to the hub to fight in the war against the Anti-Life.
The Originator Wars: Search for the Lost: A Lost Fleet Novel Page 4